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Letter to the editor
Animal abuse must be stopped
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Forsyth County News

I  am writing in regard to the inhumane treatment, abuse, neglect and abandonment of animals. 
We have recently seen two horrible incidents of animal abuse in Forsyth County. A dog was shot in the Green Summers Subdivision in front of his owner and a cat was intentionally pinned in the door of an SUV in N. Forsyth.

 I’m so glad the dog will recover but that poor cat suffered horribly before dying. Inhumane treatment and cruelty to animals should not be tolerated in our society. Abuse of animals can lead to abuse of humans as well.

For those of us who are animal lovers, it is impossible to understand how some people can be so heartless in their treatment of animals, sometimes including their own pets.  Inhumane treatment, abuse or neglect can run the gamut from severe violence such as these two incidents, cockfighting, running a puppy mill, on down to refusing to spay/neuter pets leading to overpopulation and homeless animals or allowing pets to roam through the streets.

 On another subject regarding animal treatment, there is a growing problem of pets being abandoned or given up due to home foreclosures. These are devastating circumstances for families and sadly, many pets are being given up because their owners honestly cannot afford to keep them or provide a home anymore. Many pet owners go out of their way to find a good home for them or take them to a responsible shelter or rescue group. 

Unfortunately, some owners abandon their pets leaving them behind to fend for themselves.   If anyone finds that they cannot keep or properly take care of a pet, please do not abandon it. If a loving and caring home cannot be found for your pet, please call the Humane Society of Forsyth County which is a “no kill” shelter or find a rescue group. 

 Please continue to address these issues in our county and keep the public informed of any situations where an animal has been abused or neglected.  Hopefully, these articles will lead to greater awareness of these problems and show that abusive or inhumane treatment towards animals will not be tolerated by the citizens of our county. 

I would like to see our county officials and candidates for office address the issue of animal abuse and neglect more often and tell us where they stand and what they will do about it.  

Deborah Hudson
Cumming