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Respect animals

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R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Aretha Franklin sang about it, as parents and teachers we aim to instill it in our children, but it seems too many people do not always practice respect to other beings — human and other. 

The older dog, having spent a life of ultimate loyalty and forgiveness, is abandoned and confused, tied to a fence under the summer sun — no water, no compassion, no “thank you for your unconditional love.” This is how we will repay you. We got a new puppy; you are incontinent, you don’t play anymore, you are grumpy. So we will forget our earlier promises to you, we will let someone else care for you in your final years or months (if you survive being left exposed to the sun), but you will not be our problem anymore. 

What about the other end of the spectrum — the 2-week-old kittens left in a box at the recycle center to face whatever end may befall them — helpless, barely able to move, no source of food — you don’t deserve a chance to survive. You just cry non-stop and drive us crazy so we need to “get rid of you” and really don’t care what horror may be your very short life.

Fanciful stories to pull at heartstrings? No. True stories from right here in Lake County this month. Where did the respect disappear? What are we teaching our kids? Is life of these animals so meaningless? Do we just use and throw away when things are inconvenient? 

The truth is that most people do care: the folks that called about the dog tied to the fence to make sure she got to a safe place, the family that rescued the fragile kittens and brought them to the shelter, the people that are outraged when they see abuse and neglect and do what they can to make a difference. 

So respect is alive and well with so many of us, but how can we spread this responsibility even wider, show our youth that we walk the walk, lead the way to a compassionate community with R-E-S-P-E-C-T?

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