This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Regarding ("Lost child still more important than a dog," June 29): Just because the law states that dogs are property does not make it right. As a person who has shared her entire life with dogs, and never wanted to have human children, I can unequivocally say my dogs are my children.

I cook for them, play with them, educate them, spend thousands on their health care and tend to their every need. I would kill to protect them. Given the choice between saving the life of my dogs or that of someone else's child, I would save my dogs every time; just as any mother would do given the same choice.

Just because I did not give birth to them does not make them less than any adopted human child. Because dogs are developmentally equal to a non-verbal toddler, what this officer did was akin to shooting the very child they were looking for if that child had acted in a threatening manner.

Ashley Simmons

Sandy