BRATTLEBORO — As a family blessed to be loved by three beautiful Chihuahuas - Taco Lee, Chili-Bob, and Milo Shamus Maloney - my partner Kevin Maloney and I are very happy to report that the Brattleboro Transportation Committee has approved a proposal that Selectboard member Ken Schneck and I brought forth.
The approved proposal is to install signs in all Brattleboro town parking lots which warn the driving public of the potential danger of leaving their dogs in cars while they shop or dine.
Even moderate outdoor temperatures in the upper sixties have proven life threatening to both children and dogs locked inside cars. There is a need to remind people of the danger of a car's interior temperature, which can rise very quickly, even when outdoor temperatures are mild. Research has shown that cracking the car windows does not help.
According to Town Manager Barb Sondag, the next step is a discussion with Steve Barrett, director of public works, and with parking enforcement to determine how signs can be affixed to the pay-and-display kiosks.
I am extremely pleased to have worked with Ken on this effort, and both Kevin and I are grateful to him for reaching out to us and offering to help.
We are also very grateful for the support of the Windham County Humane Society, the Vermont Veterinary Medical Association, and the Vermont Animal Cruelty Task Force, who wrote strong letters of enthusiastic endorsement of this proposal prior to the committee's deliberations.
I believe the Transportation Committee's decision reflects the shifting social awareness of the inherent value of animals as living creatures and the many benefits they bring to human life, welfare, and society, as well as our collective responsibility to address animal cruelty and suffering even when it is clearly unintentional.