| You're driving along and you spot an injured cat | | | | futures are still uncertain. Who will take them? |
| by the side of the road. It lifts its head and looks | | | | Who will care? Most of them are, after all, "just" |
| at you, so you know it's still alive. What do you | | | | strays. |
| do?a. Keep driving. It's not your cat, so you don't | | | | And what about the kind driver who brought him |
| feel any obligation to help it.b. You stop to see | | | | in? How do they feel when they get the bill? |
| how bad it is, but it looks pretty serious, so you | | | | Some people are willing to do whatever it takes, |
| apologize and get back in your car because | | | | because they are the rare ones who do |
| there's nothing you can do.c. You stop and see | | | | understand responsibility. Humans have caused the |
| the cat is seriously injured, so you wrap him in | | | | problem, and humans should be the ones to either |
| whatever you have and go to the nearest | | | | solve it or handle the outcomes. It is we who |
| veterinary clinic. | | | | have built all the roads and fast vehicles. Animals |
| If you answered A or B, you are pretty | | | | don't understand these concepts. It is we who |
| heartless. The sad thing is, the cat will die, and | | | | have created excess populations of cats and |
| probably in great pain. But you don't care, so you | | | | dogs, by allowing over-breeding and by cruel |
| keep moving. | | | | abandonment, and they often end up wandering in |
| If you answered C, then you are one of those | | | | unfamiliar areas and don't understand how to |
| rare people who cares about animals and is willing | | | | cross the highway safely, or how to defend |
| to do what you can to ease or end their | | | | themselves from local predators. |
| suffering. It might mean a humane euthanasia at | | | | It's absolutely critical that we humans fix the |
| the nearest vet office, or it could mean the cat | | | | imbalance. For the big picture, let's get on the ball |
| still has a chance. But what if it's a costly | | | | with spay/neuter programs and support the |
| procedure? | | | | shelter and rescue organizations. |
| The next step is usually the shocking discovery | | | | For the immediate situation, take the injured cat |
| that our society has mixed messages about | | | | to a vet, leave some money as a deposit, and |
| responsibility. Whoever brings the injured cat in to | | | | agree to make payments. Or, have the poor thing |
| the vet's office is going to be considered its | | | | humanely euthanized. |
| owner and will be charged accordingly. Can you | | | | For the intermediate solution, get in touch with a |
| afford it? Should you pay? If not you, then who? | | | | rescue or shelter facility. Sometimes they can |
| While there are stories about pets who got loose | | | | take the injured animal (if it's not too far gone), |
| and a kind Samaritan took care of them until the | | | | and if they are an established shelter, they may |
| owner could be found, it's not that common. | | | | have some donated funds for these situations. It's |
| More often, pets are killed on the road every day | | | | worth asking. Some shelters even have |
| and no one blinks an eye. Most of them do not | | | | veterinarians on staff. However, and more usually, |
| die instantly, but suffer horribly as death finally | | | | they may have a working agreement with a local |
| claims them. | | | | vet. |
| For the lucky ones who are rescued by kind | | | | The one thing I could never do is keep driving and |
| people, they may or may not make it, but their | | | | ignore the suffering. |