Nothing hurts me more than people abandoning their pets. Abandonment is devastating to both humans and animals, but people can turn to their faith, learn to forgive, sometimes heal and maybe transcend the hurt. Animals don't have those options. As far as I can tell, animals don't understand. They just feel.
Reports of people abandoning their pets to the Beijing streets because of government-fed fear of disease litter the news at press time. The roundup, caging and killing of cats in a pre-Olympic effort to clean up the city in time for Opening Ceremonies on Aug. 8 made headlines in the United Kingdom's "Daily Mail." Unlike their stray counterparts, abandoned cats refuse to eat or drink. They just wait to die. Not even humanely, apparently. The Chinese government refuses to give lethal injections to sick cats, so their suffering is prolonged. Chinese animal welfare groups are doing everything they can to help, but they fear retaliation from authorities.
**Get the July 2008 issue of CAT FANCY to read the full article.**