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Shame on ‘Krabloonik gulag’

Dear Editor:On a recent visit to Aspen/Snowmass I met many fine, friendly folks who’ve come to call these communities their home and saw for myself the natural beauty for which the area is famous. Unfortunately, I also discovered the dog prison at Krabloonik.I learned that civic pressure recently ended the long-standing practice of “firing squad” executions for senior dogs, but the chaining of these proud pooches to the scorched, barren earth continues. Sadly, the adjacent rustic-yet-elegant restaurant was closed for the season. After all, what could be better than dining with close family or old friends just yards away from where these majestic mutts are being warehoused indefinitely. Too bad I missed the natural and organic products offered at the legendary Krabloonik served just within “howling” distance from actual caged canines.How is it possible for locals to allow such a facility to exist in their midst? Are the same people who deride our military’s treatment of terrorists in Guantanamo Bay turning a blind eye to much worse atrocities in their own backyard? In Gitmo, violent murderers are given air conditioning, prayer rugs, Halla-prepared meals and Korans. At the Krabloonik gulag, hard-working sled dogs are left out in the hot, summer sun on dry, parched ground, given no Kibbles & Bits, Beggin’ Strips or even discarded béarnaise sauce from the nearby Krabloonik kitchen.And when it comes to being held without specific charges for undetermined periods of time, at least the bad guys at Gitmo don’t get shot when their usefulness is exhausted. As if this hypocrisy of Aspen’s liberal elite was not enough, it turns out that none other than Michael Eisner, the warden of the Magic Kingdom himself, owns a vacation home right next door to the kennels at Krabloonik. Here’s a suggestion: stop your “Mickey Mouse” second-guessing about running a prison for murderous terrorists 4,000 miles away, and take care of a truly “Goofy” situation right where y’all live and work.If you want to make a real difference, try treating your alpine animals at least as well as the administration treats captured Islamo-terrorists.Dennis GoldmanAurora