Animals are always on my mind.
I read newspapers and books everyday. A day doesn’t go by that I don’t find an item in the daily newspapers about animals and get the scissors and cut it out. You can imagine what my office looks like—piles and files of clippings, articles and books having to do with animals. As we all say, one of these days I’ll go through everything, but not now.
Last week was Be Kind to Animals Week. And you know I always get on my soapbox and rant and rave that Be Kind to Animals Week is every week, every day of every year. Daily, I read such stories of animals from elephants to tiny creatures treated violently. I want to be like Joan of Arc and rush out and save them all. Impossible, to be sure, but I wish I could.
Not only in Slidell, but all around the world, everyday animals are abused and killed. An incident here in Englewood, Florida (where I now live), someone bashed in the head of a seven month old Jack Russell terrier and tossed the dog in a plastic bag weighed down with a brick, into a local canal. The family found the dog’s body and were beside themselves that anyone could be so cruel.
Local Animal Control is searching for the perpetrator(s) and have enough evidence to charge third-degree felony animal cruelty with a possible five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
And then you have occasions where a 102 year old woman died, leaving her two 12-year old Siamese cats behind. Her family decided not to have the cats euthanized as the woman asked, but actually found a home for the cats. And Siamese cats can live long. I know, I had two who lived to be over 20 years.
The good and the bad is there everyday. Make all year Be Kind to Animals.
Can you actually believe the 2012 hurricane season has arrived prematurely? It’s not due to start until June 1. Alberto was not looking at the calendar. That too is another very concerning animal situation to think about. Every year, us folks who live in the warm climates must brace ourselves for Mother Nature and her moods. All of us know all too well she doesn’t mess around.
Weather forecasters are saying La Nina is not around now to stir things up. So this is to make for a less active Atlantic season. I’ll believe it when I see things on November 30.
Will you and your pets be ready?
A closing thought as May draws to a close and June arrives with flowers, heat and as I recently mentioned—shelters filled with kittens and cats. It’s Adopt-a-Cat Month and Adopt-a-SHELTER-Cat Month.
Are you fighting fleas on your pets already? If you live in any of our warm states, it is a year-round war. But many new topical flea medications have hit the market for pet owners to deal with these little hellions. Check with your veterinarian to get the best med for your animals.
And have you hugged your animal companion today?
(Pat Chiri can be reached at patchiri@gmail.com.)
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