When I read the first part of this LA Times story, I was angry and I cried for this little dog, Banjo, who thankfully was rescued.
Interest in the dog exploded after the department revealed Tuesday he was rescued this month when a 78-year-old man apparently tied him to some train tracks in the Mecca area.
A train engineer spotted the dog and man walking away from the area, and used an emergency brake to stop in time.
I was still wiping my eyes about Banjo when I read further. The tears came back when I read the description of the elderly man who allegedly tied Banjo to the tracks.
He was initially arrested by the Union Pacific agent, but was released to his family with a warning because he appeared “senile,” officials said, and “didn’t fully understand what he had done.”
The man told the agent his family didn’t want the dog and he didn’t know what to do, officials said.
“He’s not an evil person. He’s a man who needs to be cared for by his family,” Welsh said. “We have all this passion and interest in this little dog, but let’s not forget we have to have that same level of compassion for people that need to be cared for by their families.”
Thanks to advances in medicine, we are living longer, and that’s a good thing. But we must never forget that our aging parents need help — some more than others. And that doesn’t mean government — that means family.
