While "Watchdog keeps eye on police canines" (The Argus, January 8) is good news for Sussex police dogs and obviously brought about by the events in Essex regarding police dogs, this is no consolation to police dog Bruce, who should still be alive today.

Inspections of this type are not new.

They were the responsibility of the area dog sergeant and the dog inspector, who were "dog men", not administrators.

Perhaps this new panel can also oversee decisions made by senior police officers such as the one that killed Bruce.

By the way, what happened to the youth who had his ear bitten?

-John Packham, Applesham Avenue, Hangleton