Many of us probably had parents that would say things like, “Be kind to strangers, for someday you’ll surely be one of them to someone else.” Not bad advice, really, and it applies to the animal world as well. We should be kind to stray animals for they were or are or could be someone’s loved pet. It’s difficult to see this sometimes. Especially at 3:00am when that pack of stray cats won’t stop yowling and scrapping with each other.
A lot of strays are animals that have been abandoned by their former families for whatever reasons, and for these unfortunates, life can be very hard. Animal control and local shelters can do only so much and have limited space and resources, but if you have strays in your area, you should consider notifying these organizations. Life in a shelter isn’t easy either, but it’s often better than life on the streets.
While abandoned animals may constitute the majority of strays, some are simply pets that have become lost or misplaced their tags. You can file a report at local shelters stating that you have found a potentially lost pet, and if the owner checks in, then they’ll have a way to be reunited with their pet. Just imagine if it were your dog or cat who got lost. We bet you’d be grateful for a little kindness from the stranger who ended up either taking them in or reporting them lost.
A little kindness goes a long way, so don’t immediately reach for the handy throwing shoe the next time a stray comes sniffing around your yard. You never know when that kindness might be repaid.
