Letters to the Editor
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Rules do not rule out thinking
I'm dumbfounded at the number of people creating a false dilemma here. Either you have firm policies that you follow like a robot, or rancid, toothless hillbillies will capture all your dogs and sell them as jerky. Is there really no room for a little thought about the dog's welfare?
Yes, Ellen violated the letter of the contract. However, she kept to the spirit of it in finding what she thought was a good home for the dog. Taking the dog away without investigating the home and making an actual judgment call benefited nobody and nothing. It was certainly traumatic for the dog, and you can bet that family will not be getting their dog from a private shelter.
We make rules to make decision-making easier. It means we don't have to think a decision through from first principles every time. Rigid adherence to rules for their own sake, even when you violate the principles that motivate them is small-minded idiocy.