Late one evening, I almost ran over two kittens. They were abandoned in a wooded area with no houses around for miles. It took some time but I caught them. I looked for others as best as I could, given the late hour and the heavily wooded area. I hope these were the only two.

Their cries of fear will haunt me for a very long time. The kittens were about 6 to 8 weeks old. They did not ask to be born. These were innocent and defenseless creatures.

I am continually amazed, angry, frustrated and disappointed that some human beings appear to lack a sense of responsibility and basic compassion for other living creatures. There is no excuse for ignorance and apathy. No creature deserves such poor treatment.

Yes, our complex world faces many problems. In the grand scheme of things, the lives of two kittens may not mean that much to the average human. But I challenge that notion. In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”

Please take care of your companion animals; have them spayed or neutered. Don’t toss them out like garbage.

Michele Hryc

Maxfield