All beings deserve kindness

To the editor:

I feel compelled to respond to a Letter to the Editor submission by Vicki Kluever, dated April 11. Although I applaud the fact that all her animals have been rescued, I am concerned that Ms. Kluever believes that there ought to be a hierarchy that should be followed when people donate money, particularly through Pick. Click. Give. She is asking for community support to be given to people, rather than to animals.

Ms. Kluver, I would suggest to you that a kindness shown to any living being is never wrong. I don’t believe that the Alaskan public has donated to animal groups because they are “lazy” or unaware. I believe that they do so with thoughtful intention, understanding that animals are sentient beings who feel pain, love and fear just as we human beings do.

Who is to decide which is the appropriate entity for a donation, if not the individual person who is making that donation?

An animal has worth unto himself, not just because of the potential good that he can do for a human being. In fact, animals provide assistance to humans in many capacities, such as therapy dogs, search and rescue, and service dogs.

All beings deserve our kindness and generosity - including animals. I hope that everyone who suffers injustice and pain can benefit from the kindness of Alaskans – not at the expense of one group over the other.

Angie Lewis

Palmer