On the beaten path

I have rarely been close to tears on the job, not even when I’ve stood near still-bleeding bodies of murder-suicide victims, as I spoke to witnesses or viewed countless crime scenes and autopsy photos to better convey to readers the actions and possible motives of a killer.

But I am human.

Just three times in 20 years — moments after the last note was written and the final photo taken — have I climbed into my vehicle and burst into tears.

All three occasions involved the same subject: animal shelters.

Last week, I went to the North Country Animal Shelter in Malone for a story about an upcoming fundraiser.

I tried to talk myself out of the need for photographs, but I knew it would be too difficult to describe in a few paragraphs just how badly repairs and renovations are needed there.

A chorus of happy barks from dozens of dogs of all ages, breeds and sizes greeted me.

All of them were so sad and lonely and in such need of love that I wanted to let all of them loose, put them all in my vehicle and get out of there.

But I couldn’t.

I just took the pictures, found out what I needed to know and left empty-handed.

I got into my truck, started the engine and cried.

My husband and I care for 15 stray cats to go along with our one indoor cat, Sam, because the people living across the street didn’t bother to get their two female cats spayed.

Nor did they leave food out for the pregnant cats when they took off for several days last fall.

We ended up with them because we couldn’t let them starve to death, and we could not get an animal shelter to take them.

Jim and I spend an average of $25 a week just on food, and I can’t tell you how much we’ve paid for litter, toys and treats and for veterinarian bills for neutering, spaying, shots and other assorted ailments.

We’ve come to love all of them, but I can’t help but be angry because all of this could’ve been avoided if those neighbors would have taken responsibility for their pets.

The problem of homeless and unwanted animals is universal in the North Country, yet no elected official has ever really tried to find a solution.

Feral cats and stray dogs are a drain on every community, yet no one is working to strengthening of existing laws either on the state or the local level to hand out tough penalties to those who abandon or mistreat animals or neglect their care and treatment.

There is also no effort to penalize the people who fail to get their pets spayed or neutered or who abandon animals when they are no longer in the cute and cuddly stage of life.

There are countless county-owned properties up for public auction every year, and any one of them could be awarded free to the volunteer agencies that needs shelter space.

And counties and municipalities could band together and dedicate a few hundred or a few thousand dollars each a year to pay for the lights and heat in these buildings so these loving pets could have some semblance of a happy life.

Someone must care for and feed these pets, and that care and concern should start with the people who are entrusted with the duty to care for a community and its members, even if some of those community members have four legs.