Protect animals from abuse

I recently read about an unspeakable tragedy that was narrowly averted because of the courageous action of just one person.

Eight starving horses were wasting away in a field while their owners failed to provide food, water or veterinary care. The horses ate bark off trees in a desperate attempt to stave off their hunger, but it wasn't enough. They were slowly dying. Thankfully, a neighbor saw the horses suffering and decided she couldn't look the other way. She called a veterinarian and set the wheels in motion for a rescue operation. Unfortunately, the rescue came too late for one horse, but the survivors are thriving in their new environment.

It is disturbing and even heartbreaking when you witness an act of animal cruelty, but each of us has the power to put a stop to it. Any time you suspect animal abuse, your first call should be to your local Humane Society, animal control or the police. Get then to investigate. Whether it is a neighbor's pet being treated cruelly, cats and dogs at a pet store or animals at a breeder's facility being kept in filthy, crowded conditions, if it is animal abuse, it's against the law.

I urge the citizens of this community to join with me an speak out against animal abuse wherever and whenever they see it. Innocent animals are depending on us to be their voice.

MARY FRANCES SITZE, Cape Girardeau