[alaskayorkie]

Well, I tried as hard as I could to be patient, but I finally lost it today when talking to the officer investigating Lucy's case. I asked to speak to her supervisor and went off on him.

To make a long story a little shorter, I was fairly incensed when I returned from my 10-day vacation and had received no email updates from the officer as I'd requested. Not even any confirmation that she received the witness statement that I'd personally delivered to her office.

I called on Monday and left a message for the officer to call me with an update 7 weeks after the attack. No reply. I called on Tuesday at noon and was given her personal voicemail, and I again requested at update. Again, no reply by the time I was going to head to work. I called again a couple hours after my first call Tuesday and was given the officer. She asked what I wanted. I told her I'd been leaving messages for two days that I wanted a status update.

She started by telling me that the witness, while corroborating my story in a written statement, said he would not attend a formal hearing at animal control without being paid. I reminded the officer that, not only had I picked up and delivered the witness statement to her office and knew everything it said, we already KNEW THAT! He had told her when she interviewed him 2 weeks earlier that he would not attend a formal hearing. That's why she asked for the written statement. She said nevertheless, it hurt my case that he wouldn't testify in person. (I didn't even get into whether he could be subpoenaed to testify.)

I then asked if she had seen the video I'd made for her, my personal slam dunk on the case, refuting his version of the story that I'd begged her again and again to view or let me know if she couldn't view. She told me she couldn't get the DVD to work on any work computer. Why she hadn't let me know as I'd requested is unfathomable to me.

That's pretty much when I lost it and started telling her how disappointed I was. I asked to speak to her supervisor.

Shockingly, she then said something to the effect, "Well, if you'd let me talk, I'd tell you that this case is closed. I issued a Level II classification."

WHAT?! Why didn't she tell me that when I asked for a status update? That's the only news! Instead, we spent 10 minutes or more arguing about things I already knew.

I repeated that I needed to speak to her supervisor, and she finally transferred me to him.

I gave him about a 5-minute synopsis on why I was so disappointed, and he asked for my case number so he could check it out. Sure enough, the officer apparently had issued the Level II classification. I have no idea when she issued it. I suspect Monday, the day she received my message and knew I was back in town. I asked what's next, and he said I had to wait until the report crossed his desk and he signed it, so evidently any action just happened.

So I should be elated. A Level II classification is what I wanted. But I'm so disappointed at the officer's effort and how long it took that I can't celebrate. This guy and his dog STILL HAVE 15 days to contest the ruling and demand a hearing. Meanwhile, there are no restrictions on the dog.

My inclination is to write a letter to animal control -- making sure the person I talked to is the real supervisor -- and include a timeline I've kept on the slow case. I've already written it, but have decided to cool down until tomorrow and decide whether I send it or not.

I dunno. Should I send or or be happy that the case is still moving forward?