By Danielle Holliday
It”s summertime and a great many animals are also out here with us. In the past month I”ve been unfortunate to not only have hit a squirrel myself (these critters do skitter onto roads), but also saw a deer hit and struggling to stand for almost half an hour before dying and my pulling it off the road.
The most disturbing though was the chipmunk-type creature I watched being struck on Point Lakeview. This one angered me somewhat because not only was the driver not paying attention, the chipmunk did not run onto the road. It was sitting still inside but near the white line, undecided when to cross since it attempted to cross once and scurried back. The driver still did not see it, or didn”t care.
So, I ask all drivers to remember to look down the road and perhaps, by avoiding these animals, we can further help keep the ecosystem intact.
Speaking of animals suffering and dying, I would like to remind all Christians to also pray for “the other creation” ? the animals. I know firsthand that God cares. In one instance recently, a sparrow hit the window at a job and laid on the deck breathing heavily. I placed it on the front lawn away from the dogs and literally prayed for it. Three hours later I happened to go out to my van and was blessed to see it fly off.
Our prayers are needed for all animals in unnatural living conditions and that are abused (circuses, zoos, etc.), for animals unjustly killed by hunting (if left alone, natural population control works just fine) but most especially for the animals in research labs enduring extreme suffering until death and the slaughterhouse animals going through the process still alive and conscious.
I”m sure more of us know the Bible on animal issues and people are not the only ones who matter in life. We should cherish all life.
Danielle Holliday
Kelseyville
