Save Rocky!

Lock up your pets. In his ever-increasing mania to experience every aspect of life, now Matt Roloff is talking about killing his dog because it's old and might be in pain.

For heaven's sake, give the poor old pooch some aspirin and pamper him a while. Get him a cart for his rear legs, if needed--you have the money. But please don't shoot him. What sort of message does that send to your audience--that old dogs are open season for target practice? And your idea of having Jeremy,your alter ego, do the deed is even worse. Don't ask your kids to do stuff like that.

Sure, as you keep saying, they shot the dog in Old Yeller, but that was more than a hundred years ago, and the dog was rabid. We still shoot rabid dogs today, but we give docile old dogs a tender good-by at the vet's office, telling them how much we love them as they depart this world.

Be careful of the precedent you set, Matt. After all, you're getting old and infirm yourself.