Editor,

We had the very unpleasant experience dealing with our puppy’s debilitating two-week-old lingering sickness known as “kennel cough.” Our dog experienced numerous agonizing coughing seizures, which imitated the sound as if he swallowed a bone he can’t spit up.

We had recently boarded our dog at a South Whidbey kennel and upon our return home our dog was coughing uncontrollably. We were not informed by the business that our puppy had contracted kennel cough, nor were we advised of what to do; keeping our dog quarantined from other animals or, more importantly and to immediately contact a vet.

Island County should establish a “health watch” for dogs and other animals of this area and to follow up to ensure the safety for our pets. They could use the licensing division for a format of pet owners to inform the public of health issues. In the least, the county could develop and fund a specific department for the public to report and monitor pet/animal diseases. Public awareness for this too-easily-spread disease known as kennel cough is presently our best defense for our pet’s ultimate and future good health.

Please let readers know to provide their experiences with kennel cough to this paper so we can inform others the severity of this disease and what is being done.

JIM BARDEN

Langley