The Editor,
Part of my retirement planning included the possibilities of volunteering with the SPCA or Wildlife Rescue. However, I came to realize that the rage I feel about the cowardly and sadistically cruel way in which some of my fellow humans treat defenseless animals is something I would be unable to let go of later at home.
Stories such as those about the cat torturer and the abandoned kitten in the carrier in your Aug. 29 issue, and the abandoned litter left in a cooler profiled in another publication, stay with me for days and I spend much time wishing there was some way we could rid ourselves of those who see nothing wrong about the act of abusing animals - or, even worse, get some sort of perverted satisfaction from doing so.
The only things that give me any comfort in relation to such circumstances is that everyone I personally know loves animals. There are a great number of people who are willing to go the extra mile to try and compensate in some way for such cruelty.
Kudos to those who possess the human capacities for empathy and kindness and step in when needed, and curses to those who lack such attributes and run away from the consequences of their actions.
Ray Arnold Richmond
