By all accounts Sandra L. Piovesan was devoted to her wolf hybrids. But blind devotion proved deadly.
Authorities found Ms. Piovesan, 50, dead inside the fenced pen at her Salem Township, Westmoreland County, home where she kept eight of the animals -- crosses between wolves and dogs. An autopsy showed she bled to death after being mauled.
We extend our condolences to her family and friends. Her death, however, raises serious questions.
For years the Pennsylvania Game Commission received complaints about the animals. But they were licensed as "dogs," which put them outside the commission's jurisdiction, an official said.
A spokesman for the Department of Agriculture, which oversees dog licensing, said any wolf hybrid rightfully would fall under the Game Commission's authority.
If "everybody suspected what they were," according to a Game Commission supervisor, then why wasn't there further investigation or action taken?
These aren't "pets" in any traditional sense. Experts regard wolf hybrids as aggressive and unpredictable. In the past, veterinarians reportedly refused to enter the pen; authorities had to kill the animals to retrieve Piovesan's body.
At issue is the well-being of people . State animal laws and proper jurisdiction should be clear. Obviously they weren't.
Rather than pass the buck in tragedy's wake -- or write it off as an unfortunate incident and leave it at that -- the circumstances of this case demand further review.
