Think before you kill!

Please tell people to think before they call and complain about a homeless animal. Under NJ law, a shelter is only required to hold a stray for 7 days.
Those 7 days may be the last 7 days of a cat or dog’s life.
What will your pet be doing in the next 7 days?
Will he be taken for walks with you in the park? The dog in the shelter will be in a small crate alone.
Will your dog get fresh water several times a day? Will the shelter water get soiled?
Will she sleep next to you in your bed? Shelters are often unattended at night. The floor is often steel or cement.
What will your cat eat next week? Will the shelter cat be wishing for more food because she was too afraid to eat in the strange place?
Since my last post I have heard of a man brought to court and threatened with a fine because his neighbor complained about his cats.
Another person was planning on calling authorities in the same town because a “damn cat had kittens” on his property.
People have found so many reasons to be intolerant of the creatures that share our planet. The stray cat had kittens. The deer ate the flowers. The raccoons tipped over the garbage and the squirrels ate the birdseed.
Do they take the time to watch the care with which the cat relocates her kittens or the doe nurses her faun? Do they ever see the raccoon washing her food or the squirrel opening the nut?
We sit for hours in front of computers and televisions while a whole world with fur and feathers whirls around us.
In a few weeks, while we are reaching for repellants, some intricate choreography will occur. A graceful team of ants will be unfurling the petals of our peonies.
Think before you call. Think before you kill!