To the editor:

I recently returned from vacation to hear that one of Suffolk’s greatest ladies, Elizabeth Epps, was going to court because of being accused of animal cruelty.

Ms. Epps became my groomer and kennel choice when I arrived from Alexandria in 2004. In all these past years, I’ve found her to be the most caring, animal-loving person I have ever known.

When my granddaughter couldn’t keep a second dog in her apartment, Ms. Epps gave the dog a home, because, she said, “It reminded me of one of my dogs I had very early in life.” My cat was diabetic, but when I had to kennel him, Ms. Epps called upon her prior nursing career and gave him insulin shots.

When I had to put down my dog of 15 years due to illness, she cried, saying, “This is like losing one of my own.”

Ms. Epps’ arrest resulted in animal control officers forcefully taking all the strays off her property, as well as her personal pet and one cat she was boarding. She had been unjustly accused of cruelty to animals.

Because of this wild accusation and action taken by animal control, Ms. Epps cannot even recover her own cat. The strays were put down, and her cat and the customer’s cat were held.

In my opinion, the people at Animal Control should investigate better before taking action to hurt someone like Ms. Epps.

Friends and clients know Ms. Epps’ caring concern for all animals is such that we entrust our dear, furry friends to her charge. Perhaps someone should be looking into who is really the cruelest in this whole fiasco. It’s not Ms. Epps.

Sandra Radford

Suffolk