Dear Editor,

After reading of the dog killing incident in your publication, I thought I needed to share with the people of Chilton County my experience with the Chilton County Sheriff’s office as well.

I don’t personally know the officers or any relatives of the officers of the Chilton County Sheriff’s Department. I have had no previous contact or dealings with anyone there either.

Last July in front of our home, in a private neighborhood near Lake Mitchell, Officer David Moses ran over our 2-year-old British Labrador Retriever, Bailey.

The street is a private drive for about 10 homes with a posted speed limit of 10 mph. My wife, Lynn, called me at work, and I met her at Dr. Jennifer Mobley’s office, where Lynn and my neighbors, Ralph and Jane Mason, had taken the dog. On my way to Dr. Mobley’s office, I called the sheriff’s office and requested the telephone number for the officer who was in our neighborhood and had possibly ran over Bailey.

I called Officer Moses immediately as I was driving to Dr. Mobley’s office and asked why he had run over the dog, and his immediate reply was that he “thought it was a stray dog that didn’t belong in the neighborhood.”

Keep in mind, this was a well-kept animal that was a trained bird dog. The reason we knew Bailey had been hit was the officer had sounded his siren to the dog. This alerted my wife, who was at home and witnessed the officer driving away as our dog lay in the road dying. He was dead by the time our neighbors came to help my wife take him to Dr. Mobley’s office.

I contacted Sherriff Kevin Davis a letter concerning this matter and was told an investigation was being conducted and to contact Patrol Captain Rocky Mims. I called Captain Mims to find out he had concluded the investigation.

I wrote to Sheriff Davis again—reminding him of the low speed limit near our home and the fact the property is owned by our association and not the county and stating again my belief that the situation was handled poorly—and have not heard back from him.

I have not pursued this matter anymore as I felt we were not going to get any justice in the matter. However, when I read of the latest incident involving Officer Moses, I felt the citizenry of Chilton County should be aware that there is possibly more to the story than just what has been reported.

From my experience thus far, I don’t have a lot of confidence in the Chilton County Sheriff’s office—in its investigative process nor its objectivity.

I hope this helps shed some light on those people whose job it is to protect our lives and property through law enforcement. I certainly don’t think I am in a position to be judge and jury over their actions, but I would hope those who are would be more diligent in their work.

Wayne Myrick, Verbena