PUBLIC OPINION

Waikato Times, Volume 131, Issue 21836, 17 September 1942, Page 4

PUBLIC OPINION

CURRENT VIEWPOINTS TREATMENT OF ANIMALS (To the Editor) Sir,—Progress is a wonderful thing. Only a few centuries ago certain people, with low educational standards, solved the problem of overpopulation by abandoning their unwanted infants to die in the streets. In this modern age our highly civilised senses would be outraged by such inhuman cruelty. Yet the fact that quite a considerable number of our respected fellowmen—and women —today abandon unwanted animals in much the same manner proves that progress has failed in some measure to provide us with the proper spirit of obligation toward those creatures so dependent upon us. To what depths of physical misery some of these animals are plunged can be realised only by those of us who detest cruelty in any form. I saw an instance of suffering on Monday last—a cat in such a pitiful condition that how it still lived was amazing. Dozens of people passing must have seen its desperate plight, but with a callous indifference which can only be described as inhuman. A police officer kindly responded to my appeal for help for the unfortunate creature. I wish the owner could have seen it. Perhaps he or she would have regretted neglecting to provide a quick, merciful death, at a small cost of 2s 6d before exposing it to such agony. If people with unwanted animals disposed of them painlessly the problem of strays would be solved. If you won’t provide your pet with a home and protection, remember, no one else will.—l am, etc., MONTY. Hamilton, September 9.