Morality and the Single Woman

I've mentioned in the past sometimes I struggle with a title, so play along, I like to be cute. Ha. This is not a cute post though. I've come to realize that some of my 'readers' arenot happy with the article that was published in the Democrat & Chronicle, Mark Hare's column last week due to the (and this was not a direct quote) fact that I mentioned I've trapped cats recently and brought them to the shelter, Verona Street, where they DO euthanize cats after a certain amount of time they've been there, if they have not been adopted. If this article had been written a year ago with me mentioned in it, that 'quote' would not have been in there. I fully believed that 'those places' I would never go to. Back in the day, I begged a friend to bring a feral cat to Lollipop for me. She was so shaken up over this incident, I was embarassed and ashamed that I had asked her. I have had to do this twice, and the last time, I could not stop crying, either to the man there 'giving up' his two dogs because he had no place to live (the only reason we spoke to each other was that we were in the waiting area for the place to open, and we were both crying, for different reasons but similar nonetheless). It is a horrible feeling to leave an animal ANY where if you have spent over five minutes at least with it. I will never do this again. Thank God for Kings, who is able to help me do this, while I go UNpeacefully off to work. And the reasons for me doing this, when I see the need to do it, is that this animal is either desperate enough that it NEEDS to get off the street, or it is too young, and I will NOT let a baby suffer in the upcoming weather. This baby has gone past the limit of socialization. And, domestic animals do NOT automatically return to their natural instinct and cannot fend for themselves. The alternative to euthanasia for almost every stray is a violent end, or a slow, painful death. Many of these 'throwaways' die mercilessly outdoors from starvation, disease, abuse - or as a food for a predator. Thats all I can say about that. I feel for babies and the elderly and the sick in humankind, and I feel the same way about animals. If there were a place I could bring these cats to, I would, but we lack the space in this city with the few shelters we have that are no-kill. And no one will adopt them. I've tried, but yet have successfully found homes for so many of the lucky ones. And I tell you, whoever might judge me, you do what I do EVERY DAY and tell me what is best for these cats.