To the editor:
I am a cancer survivor, and it was a very rough road to recovery. I lost most of my family to cancer in two years. Your thinking of life changes more than you can imagine. You see things differently, more clearer and more with a deep feeling. Mine is animals.
My doctors told me not to ride horses due to the nature of the cancer I had. But I do, and I know my limits. Long leisurely rides at Hocking Hills on a very gentle horse, with very good friends who care and look out for me, are awesome and give me back a great feeling of life that I almost lost.
I also have a love for German boxer dogs, which I devote my extra time to. I have four now, plus a few dogs that were abused by people. I try to never get on the computer to look at pictures of animals at the shelters, because I know that I can't have them all. But here in the past week, something drew me to look at one of the shelter's dog pictures, and the first dog I saw was a full-blooded boxer.
Guess what? She is coming home with me to join the others. It was from a kill shelter. I did something that I thought I would never do, and that is to go see the rest of the dogs there. It is such a heart-wrenching thing - I almost couldn't leave. The workers were trying to keep up with the work, and there weren't enough people or materials there. The workers were trying not to feel deep feelings, because they know what is in the end. But some could not hide their feelings.
My first thought was that the people who got these pets as puppies, raised them until they got older then threw them out to die or get lucky enough to find another home because they got tired of them should be the ones in the cages facing what those animals have to face.
The animals were there to die because no one wanted them. Why can't we find some compassion for them and help by giving donations, giving our time or change the price of spaying and neutering them so unwanted animals are not born to face this in the end? This might make a difference.
If you think you are such a strong individual, go into one of these places and look into the faces of these animals.
Have you ever loved a person close to you, know that they have cancer and look into their eyes and not know what the future holds? It's about the same thing. I know, I was there. You don't know if there will be a tomorrow and what the quality of life will be later. But I guarantee that if you make it, you won't be alone and you will be loved. Can't some of these animals have the same chance?
Sandra Cameron
Wintersville
