By PAT LAUTEN

Since the beginning of time, animals have played an important part in the life of man. Horses have provided man with transportation; oxen have plowed man's fields; dogs have helped man to see; and birds have provided man with their sweet song in the summertime. Yes, animals have served man well, but how has man treated his animals?

Cats and dogs are born at the rate of 10,000 an hour. In a year this figure becomes an astounding eight million. This means that if every man, woman, and child in America adopted an animal, millions would still be homeless. In fact, only one out of every 10 animals is adopted. The rest are put to death.

Most people shrug off this senseless killing with an "I don't want to talk about it." This is not the solution to the problem. Many pet owners think they have found the solution. They abandon their pets.

For these owners it is easier to just forget about their pets than to take care of them, but how many of these people would still abandon their pets after learning about the cruel fate of this abandoned cat.

Dear "Animal Lover":
I want to tell you what happened to your cat after you dropped her off (abandoned her). The first few days she stayed just where you dropped her, waiting for you to come back. Then hunger drove her on along the road, searching for food and shelter. By now she eats anything she can find; and it is a rotten, wormy, disease-laden diet. Dogs and other animals chase her. She is almost hit by passing cars. Exposure to freezing nights almost kills her, but your cat is tough .

I found your cat today. She was beside my mailbox, right where you wanted her to go to that farmhouse in the country. The only trouble was your cat couldn't see me because her eyes were pasted shut with infection; every bone showed through her dirty hide; and she couldn't eat because her stomach was already full, distended with worms and by starvation. Too weak to stand, she made a little noise at me - but it was for you, her rightful owner, to hear. She is dead now, but can you still believe that you took care of her the humane way?

Mrs. Thomas Stoner
Waynesboro, Pennyslvania


There are many reasons why animals are abandoned. "He wants too much attention"; "she was a cute kitten, but now she's big and lazy"; "I hate to be tied down all the time" are just some of the comments. All of these reasons lead to one conclusion: the irresponsibility of pet owners.

Today, in our "disposable" society, pets are as easy to acquire as food or clothing. Unfortunately, they are also as easy to discard. With so many pets being born and countless others being abandoned, the pet population is exploding.

The Humane Society of the United States suggests that if you own a pet, have it spayed or neutered. Birth control is the only way in which the pet population will decrease. Naturally, it is always easy to talk about these poor animals than to do something about them, but unlike many other problems this is something that is easy to solve. Many students own pets and this simple operation to their pets could save the lives of thousands who are horn without owners.

Abandonment is not the answer. Forgetting about the problem will not make it go away it will only make it worse. Pets make the world wonderful let's keep it that way.