She never left the area of our house so we started feeding here and a few days later as I was passing out front door there was a cat on its hind legs looking in. It turns out that she had a brother. He wasn't as friendly at first and I think he has had a harder time on the street.

Because of some of our friends health we can't have them in the house so I had built a shelter for them and will get them to a vet soon. Maybe the Alley-Cat org will help pay the cost for shots and the like.

Anyone that has compassion for animals is a-ok in my book - doesn't matter what else we may or may not agree on.

It's nice to know that there are a lot of people out there that care about the unwanted pets in this country and are trying to be their voice.

Keep up the good work!

And David, for you, I'm not trying to insult you, just point out that you took a veiled shot at Bush, at least it looked that way to me. Hope that explanation satisfies you Charlson, and if you knew anything of me, you'd have realized I was, in my way, saying I thought it was kind of bad to bring politics into this, and in the very first comment, just like you seem to think, so believe it or not, I was agreeing with you, and you can ask most here that know me from prior comments and threads if what I just told you is true.

As I said above, pets are great until you REALLY have to take care of them - then they are an inconvenience and are discarded like an old pair of shoes.

People will come up with some self-justfication to convince themselves that it is 'ok' for them abandon them, like "I really can't afford them" and "they are animals, they will fend for themselves" and "they have fur so they won't freeze", etc. -- all excuses to absolve themselves from blame and responsibility.

One time, at our local shelter, a very cute collie mix pup was adopted - 3 days later, it was back. I asked the staff why the pup was back. The 'adopter' returned the pup (about 2 months old) because it was not housetrained.

How is that for the epitome of IGNORANCE!

Go Nature and Wildlife.

i was going along with your logic until the end when it appeared you were joking. Aside from your jovial attitude, the Chinese and the Japanese have been involved with decimating our shark populations around the globe. you can visit this web site for more information: www.sharkwater.com

Our 'city' shelter is horrible - so horrible, in fact, that we have formed and activist group to bring attention to it. We are getting some results.

Many rescue groups in this area get all of their rescues from local shelters - they are always full because they can fill slots (successful adoptions) any day of the week with adoptable strays from the area shelters.

The overpopulation and owner irresponsibility problem is HUGE in this area (Memphis), and dogfighting is very pervasive and the authorities turn a blind eye more than they attempt to prosecute.

It is VERY frustrating, but our new 'activist' group has decided that enough is enough and we will continue to keep attention focused on the problems until something REALLY is done about them.

The rescue groups who use foster homes are much better than the shelters

We support several in our area

The pets get to live in an actual home until adopted

I know of one horrible story - a relative of a coworker of mine left the coast but left their lab in the house in one of the rooms with some food and water. Their house was totally engulfed with water and the dog was left to DROWN.

Again - people treat pets like pieces of furniture - nice to have until they wear out a little or until it is 'inconvenient' to keep them.

Totally and completely irresponsible and ignorant ...

Their 'master' plan is to totally eliminate domestic pets from the face of the planet. They 'claim' to be humane but they really want extinction for all domestic animals.

The Humane Society of the United States is not much better although they are 'some' better.

If you want to donate to a national pet welfare organization that really DOES help animals, check out the ASPCA, Best Friends, and Last Chance for Animals.

Several MILLION unwanted pets are killed every year in this country in shelters and 'dog pounds'.

People should NOT ever even get a pet if they are not ALREADY committed to taking care of that pet REGARDLESS of their circumstances.

People don't leave children behind when they move or when they are bankrupt or when they are displaced, but they leave pets behind ALL THE TIME in that circumstance.

In too many cases, pets are treated like inanimate objects - a piece of furniture or and old pair of shoes. When a pet owner faces 'problems', the pet is discarded, thrown away.

If a person cannot make a LIFETIME commitment to owning a pet, they should never get one - period.

Pets can bring great joy to responsible beings with a receptive heart.

"I had the choice I'd take a pets companionship over a human's any day."

the sole reason we have an overpopulation issue with abandoned pets can be reflected in your statement.(humans are the culprit!)

And, oh, btw, there is a huge difference between an animal lover and a pet owner.

the real "animal lover" doesnt eat what they love. (unless absolutely needed for survival.)

"pets" are like family members. people who would abandon them treat their friends and family on the same level.

STOP BUYING PETS! If you must have a pet, adopt only!!!

the only pets that should be had are ones that are abandoned. or service animals for the handicapped and elderly.

stop buying pets...and there will be no need for puppy mills, pet abandonment, etc.

we need more WILD animals.

A friend of mine has been donating to PETA for years! When she started reading these articles about PETA, she sent them a letter asking for an explanation - they never replied

She stopped sending them donations

Try this one:

http://www.petfinder.com/

You put in your zip code and can find shelters and rescue groups near you

The rescue groups are doing a heroic job

The animals are placed in "foster" homes until adopted

a farmer may put a pet or animal down, I trust his judgement, alternatives in the city would be meals for the zoo, food for those that choose, whatever,

but to choose to be high and mighty and play god when the math don't work and have to kill them in giant freezers and carry them to the dump, all the while begging money from the compassionate, as PETA does, is the height of hypocracy.

PETA raked in nearly $29 million last year in income, much of it raised from pet owners who think their donations actually help animals. Instead, the group spends huge sums on programs equating people who eat chicken with Nazis, scaring young children away from drinking milk, recruiting children into the radical animal-rights lifestyle, and intimidating businessmen and their families in their own neighborhoods. PETA has also spent tens of thousands of dollars defending arsonists and other violent extremists.

2005 2,145...

2004 2,640...

2003 2,224...

2002 2,680...

2001 2,685...

2000 2,684...

1999 1,805...

* 1998 943 1...

Total 17,8...

* figures represent the second half of 1998 only

Ã;¢; other than spay/neuter animals

Ã;;Ã;» skeptical? click here to see the proof

From July 1998 through the end of 2005, PETA killed over 14,400 dogs, cats, and other "companion animals" -- at its Norfolk, Virginia headquarters. That's more than five defenseless animals every day. Not counting the dogs and cats PETA spayed and neutered, the group put to death over 90 percent of the animals it took in during 2005 alone. And its angel-of-death pattern shows no sign of changing.

http://www.petakillsanimals.com/petaKillsAnimal...

Hypocrisy is the mother of all credibility problems, and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has it in spades. While loudly complaining about the "unethical" treatment of animals by restaurant owners, grocers, farmers, scientists, anglers, and countless other Americans, the group has its own dirty little secret.

http://dogsindanger.com/searchIndex.jsp