A lengthy wait at the animal shelter
One day last week on my way home from work, I saw three very small kittens on the side of the road. The road I live on is mostly forest, with few residences so it provides people with an ‘easy’ way to dispose of unwanted animals. I picked up the kittens. Knowing I could not keep them, I resigned myself to the fact I would have to take them to the animal shelter in the morning.
The next morning I took the kittens to the Rowan County Animal Shelter. I work in Mooresville and start work at 7 a.m. I knew the shelter would not open that early, so I knew I would be late for work. I arrived at the shelter about 8:10 a.m. Imagine my surprise when I saw the shelter did not open until 11 a.m.! However, I could see several people inside the office area. Finally, a lady came out and asked if she could help me. I explained about the kittens and that I had no place for them at home and did not want to drive all the way back and then drive back to the shelter later. She said they could not take the kittens until 11.
In this economy, I readily understand budget cuts. But there were several people in the office area at all times, so it was obvious that these people were still being paid for their time. I sat in my car for nearly three hours and watched these people. When the doors finally opened, it took less than 5 minutes to fill out the paperwork and leave the kittens.
Why can’t the shelter open at 8 a.m. or 8:30 a.m. for “drop-offs” and perhaps open for viewing animals for adoption at 11?
This is a small change that would benefit all involved.
ó Deborah L. Smith
Gold Hill
TRU Week 2009
The N.C. Health and Wellness Trust Fund’s (HWTF) Teen Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation grantees will showcase the work of the state’s Tobacco. Reality. Unfiltered (TRU) youth movement in schools and communities across the state during “TRU Week 2009.” Check out the activities your middle or high school’s TRU Club is doing for TRU Week Oct. 25-31.
TRU Week events aim to encourage more N.C. teens to pledge to stay tobacco free and to join TRU, and activities will also highlight cessation resources such as the state’s tobacco use quit coaching service, Quitline NC. Expected to be an annual event, TRU Week will include such theme days as: “Cigarette Butts Pick Up Day,” “Wear Your TRU Colors Day” and “Tackle Smoking,” an event that will be held at Friday night high school football games. TRU Week is also an opportunity for students to showcase their knowledge of tobacco prevention as well as provide information on their local TRU group.
Funded by HWTF, TRU is North Carolina’s first-ever, grassroots, statewide youth tobacco prevention initiative with projects working in every county of the state, including local TRU youth groups. The initiative also includes multi-media campaigns using testimonials of real North Carolinians suffering from the harmful effects of tobacco use.
ó Tommie Estes
Salisbury