Dear Editor,

At the end of summer, I compete in a scavenger hunt called GISHWHES with my friends (we call ourselves the fishies.) During our hunt, it was brought to my attention that the year will have an additional second at the end, which may not seem like much at first, but it made me think.

As shown last week in the Kenbridge-Victoria Dispatch, the county is working towards a more humane and safe method of capturing animals, but none is said of what will happen to the animals after this point. As local ASPCAs and Humane Societies continue to fill up, more help is needed from the community.

So, I plan on using my extra second, and many more seconds, to aid animals that are in need. Just an hour of one’s week can make a lifetime of change in an animal’s life. Direct volunteering is not the only method of helping. One can donate money and resources to a local shelter, but, honestly, just spreading word of the growing need for help is one the biggest ways one can make a difference with their “extra second.”

According to the ASPCA’s site, 7.6 million companion animals enter national animal shelters every year with 3.9 million being dogs and 3.4 million being cats. This number is astonishing, but pales in comparison to the approximately 70 million cats alone that are still strays.

So, as a citizen of this county, I am pleased with the continued push to get strays off the streets, but we as a community need to be the force keeping these animals from returning to a sad life on the streets. I urge everyone to use their extra second to help save an animal’s life.

Anna Wilson

Victoria