Owning animals is a responsibility

To the editor:

I am writing this letter as an animal lover who yesterday witnessed a rather disturbing and saddening scene as I saw my neighbors remove two dead chickens from the coop and hastily dispose of their frozen bodies in the back field adjacent to our houses.

Now, I am by no means an animal expert and do not claim to be one, so while I cannot positively determine the cause of death, my personal observations tell me that these two animals died from neglect. Whether that neglect came from not providing adequate housing or proper food and water supplies I am not sure. I do know that I saw the chickens alive and well earlier this week and the temperature outside yesterday was really cold, hovering around 11 degrees.

The fact remains that two innocent animals died and were disposed of in a way that showed an utter lack of respect and humanity.

Given this event, I would like to remind pet owners there are many responsibilities that come with owning an animal and that, especially now with winter upon us, the cold weather can be detrimental to the lives of animals. If you are unsure about what precautions to take and how to care for your animals in these types of conditions, please consult an expert for help.

If you lack the means necessary to provide a high quality of life for an animal, please give that animal to someone who can provide for its needs.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals at aspca.org is a great resource for information as well as your local veterinarian.

To report a case of animal cruelty (whether that be violence or neglect or anything in between) within the city of Palmer, contact the police department at 745-4811, or, within the Mat-Su Borough, contact the office of Animal Care and Regulation at 746-5500.

If we cannot treat our animal kingdom friends with compassion and respect how can we treat one another with compassion and respect, what kind of community will we become?

“Life is as dear to a mute creature as it is to man. Just as one wants happiness and fears pain, just as one wants to live and not die, so do other creatures,” the Dalai Lama.

Melissa Jenski

Palmer