In a Deseret News column, John Florez says Utah's lawmakers care more about a one-eyed dog than they do coal miners.

A new animal cruelty law, propelled by Henry the one-eyed poster dog, has more teeth to it than the program to increase mine safety, which only calls for more training. Says Florez:

If lawmakers had applied the same logic to animal cruelty as they do for mine safety, they would have called for educating animal trainers to teach animals how to protect themselves, create "first-responder programs" and build animal shelters and hospitals. And they might even have thrown in anger management for violators. Under the Coal Mine Safety Act (SB224), the state is responsible for promoting mine safety through training and coordination but not enforcement

And that safety law only made it through after nine miners were killed in the Crandall Canyon mine last August.

If miners want 21st Century safety, they better start taking cute Shih Tzus underground with them — or a canary.