Reporter shares hate mail following opinion piece on sympathy for dog killer

VANCOUVER – Reporter Adrian McNair is tweeting some of the messages he’s received following an opinion piece he wrote for the Now newspaper.

In the piece, called Sympathy for the dog killer Paulsen, McNair writes about a dog he and his wife owned years ago. They had to put the dog to sleep in 2011 due to health problems, but McNair says while it was sad, they also had a newborn baby to care for at the time.

He says fatherhood changed his perspective on the “human-animal hierarchy”.

For the most part, I think we tolerate the anthropomorphic projections that people place on their animal companions when they call them “babies” and say they “love” them. Well, I suppose a person can love anything, but there’s no love like that which we have for other people.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: For the most part, I think we tolerate the anthropomorphic projections that people place on their animal companions when they call them "babies" and say they "love" them. Well, I suppose a person can love anything, but there's no love like that which we have for other people.

He goes on to say he now feels sympathy for dog walker Emma Paulsen, who was sentenced to six months in jail last week. Paulsen had left the six animals under her care in the back of her truck in May, 2014, when she went into a store to run an errand.

When she returned, they had all died of apparent heatstroke.

Paulsen then panicked and concocted a story about the dogs being stolen, which led to an almost week-long search for the animals.

McNair writes:

I felt sympathy because Paulsen is going to lose her right to freedom over the death of six animals who, at the end of the day, are essentially inconsequential to this world.

Oh yes, I’m sure the dogs were important to the dog owners. That much is clear. But they’re only dogs. And this is a woman’s life we’re talking about.

Dogs are easily replaced. If you don’t think that’s true, head down to your local animal shelter. You can grab one for about $350.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: I felt sympathy because Paulsen is going to lose her right to freedom over the death of six animals who, at the end of the day, are essentially inconsequential to this world.</p><p>Oh yes, I'm sure the dogs were important to the dog owners. That much is clear. But they're only dogs. And this is a woman's life we're talking about.</p><p>Dogs are easily replaced. If you don't think that's true, head down to your local animal shelter. You can grab one for about $350.

The article has gone viral, with many expressing outrage at McNair’s opinion.

He has been sharing some of the messages on social media:

The newspaper has now published an apology to its readers, which reads in part:

The column contained language and references to dogs that were insensitive and should not have been published.

While I support our columnists’ right to hold – and publish – opinions that may be unpopular, as editor, I accept responsibility for allowing such viewpoints to be expressed in a callous, insensitive and disrespectful manner.

Many readers have called and emailed , expressing their anger and disappointment over the column. I am making every effort to reach out to all of them and apologize in person, including the families who lost tragically their dogs in the “Brookswood Six” crime.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: The column contained language and references to dogs that were insensitive and should not have been published.</p><p>While I support our columnists' right to hold - and publish - opinions that may be unpopular, as editor, I accept responsibility for allowing such viewpoints to be expressed in a callous, insensitive and disrespectful manner.</p><p>Many readers have called and emailed , expressing their anger and disappointment over the column. I am making every effort to reach out to all of them and apologize in person, including the families who lost tragically their dogs in the "<em>Brookswood Six</em>" crime.