(708)301-1594 
Open 11 am-4 pm Tuesday through Saturday Closed Sunday and Monday webmistress                   |
Reprinted from The Sun/Homer Glen, August 22, 2007
I don't think anything has disgusted me more than the dogfighting and animal cruelty charges that have been leveled against soon-to-be-former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick.
It's such a gruesome story that I promised myself I wouldn't go into the details; There has been enough coverage already and this is one of the few remaining true family newspapers. Let's just say that if convicted of the initial charges (there could be more), Vick faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
And as of this writing, two of his co-defendants, Purnell Peace and Tony Taylor, have struck a plea bargain in exchange for their testimony against Vick. You see, if anyone is cowardly enough to do to dogs what these thugs did, then they will be cowardly enough to turn on each other, too.
Vick himself is considering a plea bargain, too, because as one source told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Michael's first goal is to get back on the (football) field."
Of course it is. What else would you expect from a self-centered jerk who, despite having more money and access to just about anything he would ever want, would kill dogs for fun and a few thousand dollars?
So, friends, we could focus on the negative, shake our heads and wonder how society's gutterwash could become a sports "hero" or we could do something else.
How about replacing that negative with something very positive? From time to time, I invite you to do whatever you can to support Homer's Tender Loving Care Animal Shelter.
Located on 151st Street just west of Bell Road, TLC is a no-kill shelter that relies solely on the goodness of others to operate. Perhaps you've been thinking of a new friend at home; consider visiting TLC first. Not only are there puppies and kittens, but also adult dogs and cats who have found their way to TLC through no fault of their own.
If the time isn't right to adopt or you just love animals, they are always accepting donations of food and other items. Some of the animals need a bit of medical attention and could use some help in that area as well.
With all of the news of such cruelty to animals, anything you can do for TLC will serve to offset it.
Questions or comments? Please contact Dave via dadrown@comcast.net.