Be Kind to Animals Week This coming week is a time to remind ourselves and others to be kind to our animal friends every day of the year.
Speaking of Pets May 3, 2008
by Mindy Norton
This coming week is a special one for those of us who care about animals – it's Be Kind to Animals Week!
In 1915, the American Humane Association wanted to encourage humane treatment of animals. As part of their efforts, they established the first national Be Kind to Animals Week.
Incredibly, it involved cooperation from committees in forty-three states, carrying the message of kindness toward animals.
Ninety-three years later, animal welfare organizations in all fifty states are working together to continue spreading the idea that all animals should be treated humanely.
Recognized officially by the United States Congress, Be Kind to Animals Week is the oldest week of its kind in the nation.
There are any number of ways you can be kind to animals.
One is to provide the basics for your pet – shelter from heat in the summer and from cold in the winter, good quality pet food, a fresh supply of clean water to drink, and regular veterinary care.
Another way is to prevent your pet from running loose. Dogs should be kept on a leash or in a fenced yard. Cats should stay indoors. Statistics show that outdoor cats have an average life expectancy of two-to-five years. The life expectancy for indoor cats is seventeen years or more.
A third way to be kind to animals is to make sure your pet has an ID tag, or a microchip implanted. Millions of lost pets never find their way home because they have no ID.
A fourth way is never to leave your pet in a closed car on a hot day. Even just a few minutes in the shade with the windows cracked can cause your pet to die from heat stroke.
A fifth way you can be kind to animals is by having your pet spayed or neutered. Shelters are filled to overflowing with dogs, cats, puppies and kittens, and there are nowhere near enough homes for them all.
I have one final suggestion today for being kind to animals - adopt one of my little homeless friends from your local shelter or animal welfare group.
Give a pet a chance, and make a friend for life!
Remember - be kind to animals all year long, when you're speaking of pets.
Speaking of Pets with host Mindy Norton is for people who care about pets and about humane treatment for animals in general, and who want to celebrate that special relationship between us and our animal companions. Find out more about Speaking of Pets at Alabama Public Radio.
