Flood aftermath or pets???

I haven't decided where to go with today's topic, and I thought about it all day, so I've decided to make two comments.

FIRST - I question the looting in Louisiana. I read yesterday that massive numbers of police officers have turned in their badges and a couple have committed suicide. I'd like to think that as humans in tough times, we would have the strength and decency to remain civil, yet for some reason it hasn't happened. People smarten up. Yes, you've faced a horrendous tragedy and things will get worse before they get better, but the story I heard yesterday sickens me. My son's classmate's parents are from Louisiana and have friends down there still. One of their friends was given permission to go back into his house to get additional clothing and rescue his dog. He walked into the house and was shot at point blank range by someone who had taken his house over as a shelter. That's so wrong. What's worse is that the hospitals are so overworked, they all turned him away because he was the victim of a gun shot wound. And for those who want to cry racism - I'll have you know this man is white, so don't even try to say he was turned away because he was black. I find both acts to be inhumane and unjustifiable.

#2 - I will never understand and probably never will--- if you have a pet, why abandon it? There has been a stray cat hanging around all summer, I know it had been raiding my bird food for the past week until I put it into a lidded bucket. All of my neighbors have chased it off numerous times and no one knows whose cat it was, but bets are on it being the cat of a young guy who was living down the road temporarily this summer as that is the house it kept going back to. Finally this weekend out of desperation it came crawling up to my husband begging for food. We fed it and now happen to be the proud owner of a two/three year old recent mommy. No one knows if the kittens survived or where they might be, but this poor cat is the most friendly cat I've ever seen. We took her to the vets today and she's clean of everything except ear mites. Why someone tossed her out so easily is beyond me. We happen to live near Lake Champlain and it is quite common for a summer camp resident to up and leave without their pets, but she is a sweetie and I just can't imagine abandoning her. If you really like a kitten or puppy, but don't want to stick with the pet come adulthood - do everyone a favor and foster your pet temporarily - talk to your local animal shelter - they are almost positive to have a foster program.