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Williamsport resident Thelma Tines has our condolences on the loss of her beloved pet, a dog named Lokie killed by an aggressive dog on the loose about two weeks ago.
While we share her belief that our community must find solutions, we also empathize with authorities and law enforcement, who are restrained by the limits of the laws and by the necessities of other policing priorities.
We believe, like so many of the problems that confront our communities, our society and our nation, that the solutions do not start with a new ordinance, a new bill in our state legislature or a new rule issued by any federal agency.
That, to be clear, is not to say that tougher ordinances or more direct state laws couldn't help -- and we hope our city and borough councils, township supervisors and state Legislature considers how the government can be more effective in preventing such losses.
But we believe a larger part of the solution is a recognition that dog owners need to be responsible. As is often the case with the problems our neighborhoods and communities encounter, much of the difficulty and aggravation could be avoided if more of our neighbors and fellow community members -- such as, clearly, the owner of the aggressive dog that terrorized this poor woman -- would practice old-fashioned personal responsibility.
We understand that touting the virtue of responsbility may seem like a dodge or a deflection -- and again, we are certainly open to local or state government acting. But often, it seems like turning to new laws and new ordinances is an ineffective way to cope with a deficiency in people taking responsibility.