With the recent strain on the economy, it has become apparent that people aren't the only ones feeling the pain. There have been increasing reports across the country of pets becoming victims when their owners, perhaps lacking the money to continue providing for them, abandon them.
On July 25 such an instance occurred in Oneonta. Princess, a Rottweiler between 5 and 7 years old, was found tied to the bumper of a car with a note that read: "Please give Princess a good home."
Oneonta Town Constable Scott Harrington, who responded to the call about an abandoned dog, took Princess to the Crescent Pet Lodge, which has a contract with the town to take in stray dogs and try to get them adopted if they aren't claimed by their owners within five days.
Princess was lucky, as Kristen Johnson, a staff member at the veterinary clinic, reported that "she seems to not be too bad," just "underweight a little bit."
However, other pets left to their own devices may not be so fortunate.
Harrington suggested calling a veterinarian or the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in the event that you can't care for your pet anymore, and we urge the same. This goes beyond being a matter of responsibility; it's also a matter of decency and kindness.
The very least that can be done is to give your pet a chance to be adopted by someone who has the means to care for him.
Voice views on burn barrels
One thing we all have in common is that we produce garbage. No matter how much we conserve or sort, we all make some amount of waste.
And it's not fun or easy to get rid of garbage. Loading it into our vehicles and driving to the transfer station takes time out of our schedules. And paying for trash removal can be expensive.
There's no simple solution to this chore, but hauling it away ourselves or paying someone else to is, in our minds, much better than burning it in our backyards.
According to the Department of Environmental Conservation, the smoke backyard burn barrels release into the air can contain harmful chemicals that pose a danger to all.
We've long been opposed to backyard burning and advocated a ban. As the state proposes to extend the ban on open burning statewide, we encourage area residents to educate themselves on the issue and let their opinions be known.
The deadline for submitting written statements has been extended to 5 p.m. Aug. 14. No more hearings are being held locally, but any comments people wish to be included in the record should be submitted by e-mail at 215fires@gw.dec.state.ny.us.
Even though garbage is a part of our everyday lives, backyard burn barrels don't need to be.
We encourage all to educate themselves on ways to reduce waste and consider the benefits of disposing of it properly.
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