'Marley and Me' a 'must see' for pet-minded

Unless you work at an animal shelter, you'd probably be surprised at the reasons people give for getting rid of their dogs and cats. The animals, they say, are a bother. They bark all the time, take too long to house train, have fleas, keep getting pregnant, are too aggressive, or are too timid. Countless people toss out their "pets" as they would an unwanted piece of furniture when they move or have a baby.

As the number of foreclosures goes up, the problem has gotten even worse, and some people are simply leaving animals behind to starve inside empty houses--although they manage to pack up their televisions and video games. Local authorities have found starving cats and dogs locked inside abandoned homes or chained in backyards; in desperation, some animals have tried to eat drywall, plastic, and garbage just to survive.

When I lived in Louisiana, I used to volunteer at the local SPCA. One Saturday, I worked at the intake desk and watched as people came in and gave one sorry excuse after another for giving up their animals. "I got new furniture." "She just sits there." "She's no fun now that she's older." One man brought in two sweet Doberman pinschers who'd had their beautiful Dobey ears chopped into triangles and their tails whacked to a few inches. As he dropped off his dogs, he said simply, "I am moving." These are the people I hope will see this movie.

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Date published: 12/25/2008