Dear Editor,
While walking on the seawall with a friend, I noticed a very sick dog lying next to the Kitty pump station; he was full of mange and scratching his bloody skin. I said I would return the following day and pick him up; my friend surprised me by saying I should leave the dog where it was as it was probably being fed by people who walk on the seawall.
I took her advice and decided to leave it alone. Three days later I was passing the Celina Resort and saw the body of the same dog mangled on the roadway. I felt guilty I had let someone convince me to not take action in removing the sick dog when I had a chance.
I’m of the opinion that feeding strays is not a good idea unless it is done with the intention of gaining their trust so they can be more easily caught and taken to a proper shelter.
Sick animals suffer and they can spread diseases and cause accidents and they are sometimes crushed by cars when they fall asleep under them. Sick animals should be either picked up and cared for or picked up and taken to a shelter where it will be determined whether they should be cured and re-homed or put to sleep.
One of the main reasons for so many stray animals on the seawall and the streets is the tendency of bad pet owners to stray their animals when they get old, sick or lose their ‘cuteness,’ or simply when they get tired of them. Strays are much more likely to catch diseases and get infections from dog fights.
People who stray animals are heartless!
Yours faithfully,
Syeada Manbodh
