Gun violence extending to pets

Quite a sad thing happened on my street last week. I found one of my pet cats lying in the driveway with a badly broken leg, the victim of a BB gunshot wound. After taking her to Red Bank Animal Hospital for treatment, and thanking God for the care they could give her, I came back home and sat down and said to myself, "This cannot have happened in my neighborhood. I have always felt in the nearly 30 years I’ve lived here that in this area, we like to talk things over before we shoot."

While speaking to people after this event, many asked, "Was she shot with a real gun or just a BB gun?" Well, here is the story: The gun she was shot with made a real hole in her leg and broke her real bone. At this time, it is a real mystery where the money will come from to pay for her care, so I assume a BB gun is, in fact, a real gun. Most people do not realize what a lot of damage a BB gun can do, especially at close or mid-range. You need a permit to own a BB gun, as it is not considered a toy. To discharge a BB gun in our town is against the law.

If I think about BB guns at all, the image of a slightly pre-adolescent male comes to mind. If that the person who shot Louise is a youngster, I would so hope he could talk to someone, a grown-up who cares for him and whom he respects, about the sacredness of all life and our responsibility for it. In this process, this person could become more fully human, with a heart and mind that understands it our duty and privilege to be protectors, not wounders.

If the person is someone posing as an adult, you have done a grave thing — this angry, hostile attack on an innocent pet. You need to place your old BB gun back up in the attic, where it belongs. Using small animals for target practice, purposely inflicting pain and confusion is wrong. I feel sorry for you, for if you do not know yet the difference between right and wrong, your own soul is in jeopardy. There is great justice down the road, and you are, without any doubt, in for it.

To end on a brighter note, since my cat Louise was shot, we have been touched by so many angels — Dr. Katherine Salmeri and Dr. Jennifer Barkley at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital, my dear friends and colleagues in SNAPS (Spay Neuter And Protect Strays), close friends and unknown angels. We all come together with renewed dedication to animal welfare when something negative happens. We all agree on what a hard lesson it is to learn — we must keep our pets inside under constant vigilance, even in nice areas such as the one I live in.

Nancy James

Fair Haven