SOCIETY READIES FOR BE KIND TO ANIMALS WEEK

Animals do a lot for humans -- provide companionship, protect property and even sniff out illegal drugs.

People get a chance to return the favor during Be Kind to Animals Week, slated this year for May 5-11. The Humane Society of Southeast Missouri is leading the effort to remind area residents they should appreciate their pets.

Jhan White, animal shelter director, said giving pets an extra hug and kiss every day that week would be a good way to celebrate, but there's something even better.

"If you really are an animal lover, you should get your pets at home spayed or neutered or help a friend to do so," she said. "The biggest injustice to animals is letting them run around overpopulating, making it necessary for the shelter to be here."

Many animals at the shelter have been victims of extreme unkindness. An adult Dalmatian recently was left in the overnight pen with no note or follow-up phone call. He was sick and starving, but shelter workers nursed him back to health and named him Tre, program coordinator Brian Yarbrough said.

Now Tre is filled out and affectionate. The only reminder of his past life is a weak stomach, which requires a special diet.

But Tre's life is in danger again, this time because the shelter is full and he has been there longer than some of the other dogs. When all the dog pens are filled, the staff must judge the animals on violent behavior, personality, health and length of stay. The ones who don't make the cut are euthanized.

"As I was leaving today, they were going through the process of deciding which animals would be put down," Yarbrough said. "It was really sad."

The shelter, located on Boutin Drive in Cape Girardeau, took in over 4,500 animals in 1995. Through education and caring individuals, Yarbrough said, the Humane Society hopes to reduce the number this year.

Dogs, cats, rabbits and a variety of other animals are available every day at the shelter.