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Guest Commentary: July 12, 2001
We Have a Responsibility to Condemn Cruelty to Animals
The Honorable Robert Byrd
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A few months ago, a lady by the name of Sara McBurnett accidentally tapped a sports utility vehicle from behind on a busy highway in California. The angry owner of the bumped vehicle, Mr. Andrew Burnett, stormed back to Ms. McBurnett's car and began yelling at her; and then reached through her open car window with both hands, grabbed her little white dog and hurled it onto the busy roadway. The lady sat helplessly watching in horror as her frightened little pet ran for its life, dodging speeding traffic to no avail. The traffic was too heavy and the traffic was too swift.
Imagine her utter horror. Recently, Mr. Burnett was found guilty of animal cruelty by a jury in a California court, so my faith in the wisdom of juries was restored. Ever since I first heard about this monstrous, brutal, barbaric act, I have wondered what would drive any sane person to do such a thing. There are some people who have blamed this senseless and brutal incident on road rage. But it was not just road rage, it was bestial cruelty. It was and is an outrage. It was an act of sheer depravity to seize a fluffy, furry, innocent little dog, and toss it onto a roadway, and most certainly to be crushed under tons of onrushing steel, iron, glass, and rubber, while its terrified owner, and perhaps other people in other vehicles, watched.
There is no minimizing such cruelty and resorting to the lame excuse that, "after all, it was just a dog."
The dog owner, Ms. McBurnett, puts the incident in perspective. Here is what she said: It wasn't just a dog to me. For me, it was my child. A majority of pet owners do believe their pets to be family members. That is the way I look at my little dog, my little dog Billy -- Billy Byrd. I look at him as a family member. When he passes away, I will shed tears. I know that. He is a little white Maltese Terrier. As a pet owner and dog lover, I know exactly what that lady means, and so did millions of other dog lovers who could never even fathom such an act.
For my wife and me, Billy Byrd is a key part of our lives at the Byrd House in McLean. He brings us great joy and wonderful companionship. As I said on this floor just a few months ago, if I ever saw in this world anything that was made by the Creator's hand that is more dedicated, more true, more faithful, more trusting, more undeviant than this little dog, I am at a loss to state what it is. Such are the feelings of many dog owners.
Dogs have stolen our hearts and made a place in our homes for thousands of years. Dogs fill an emotional need in man and they have endured as our close companions. They serve as guards and sentries and watchdogs; they are hunting companions. Some, like Lassie and Rin Tin Tin, have become famous actors. But mostly, these sociable little creatures are valued especially as loyal comforters to their human masters. Petting a dog can make our blood pressure drop. Try it. Our heart rate slows down. Try it. Our sense of anxiety diminishes, just goes away. Researchers in Australia have found that dog owners have a lower risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure, and lower cholesterol levels than those people who do not own dogs. Researchers in England have demonstrated that dog owners have far fewer minor health complaints than those people without a dog. Our dogs are about the most devoted, steadfast companions that the Creator could have designed. They are said to be man's best friend and, indeed, who can dispute it?
The affection that a dog provides is not only unlimited, it is unqualified, unconditional. A faithful dog does not judge its owner, it does not criticize him or her, it simply accepts him or her; it accepts us as we are, for who we are, no matter how we dress, no matter how much money we have or don't have, and no matter what our social standing might be or might not be. No matter what happens, one's dog is still one's friend.
A long, frustrating day at work melts into insignificance -- gone -- with the healing salve of warm, excited greetings from one's ever faithful, eternally loyal dog.
President Truman was supposed to have remarked: If you want a friend in Washington, buy a dog. I often think about Mr. Truman's words. No wonder so many political leaders have chosen the dog as a faithful companion and canine confidante. Former Senate Republican leader, Robert Dole, was constantly bringing his dog, Leader --every day -- to work with him. President Bush has Barney and Spot. President Truman had an Irish setter named Mike. President Ford had a golden retriever named Lucky. The first President Bush had Millie.
Of course, there was President Franklin Roosevelt and his dog, Fala. They had such a close relationship that his political opponents once attempted to attack him by attacking his dog. Eleanor Roosevelt recalled that for months after the death of her husband, every time someone approached the door of her house, Fala would run to it in excitement, hoping that it was President Roosevelt coming home.
The only time I remember President Nixon becoming emotional, except when he was resigning the Presidency, perhaps more so in the first instance, was in reference to his dog Checkers. ...
[J]ust a little pat, a little treat, a little attention for the dog is all that a pet asks. How many members of the human species can love so completely? How does man return that kind of affection?
I remember a recent news program that told of a man who was going around killing dogs and selling the meat from them. A couple of years ago, NBC News reported that American companies were importing and selling toys made in China that were decorated with the fur from dogs that were raised and then slaughtered just for that purpose.
And now we have this monster -- I do not hesitate to overrate him -- who, because of cruelty and rage, decided that he had the right to grab a harmless little dog and hurl it to its certain death. It makes one ponder the question, doesn't it, Which was the animal? Burnett, or Leo, the little dog? Of course we know the answer.
The point is this: We have a responsibility to roundly condemn such abject cruelty. Apathy regarding incidents such as this will only lead to more deviant behavior. And respect for life, all life, and for humane treatment of all creatures is something that must never be lost.
Note: This column has been adapted from a speech Sen. Byrd delivered on the floor of the Senate, July 9, 2001.
 How to contact Sen. Robert Byrd (D-West Virginia)
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