Michelle Smeaks Maurier: Leave pets at home instead of creating parking lot prisoners

To The Daily Sun,

I'm constantly walking to where I need to be, unless a car ride has been pre-arranged. I get wicked good gas mileage, no mater what the weather is doing outside!

But . . . befuddlement occurs whenever I pass a parked car and there's an animal trapped inside. Some of these animals are mellow, but most I see, they're spastically trying to claw their way out.

Oh! Sure! Its owner has "cracked the window," maybe left a little bowl of water for the hostage they've abandoned . . . aww, so thoughtful.

What are pet owners thinking, when maybe getting ready to leave their residence, "Oh . . . but animal loves to go for a ride in the car! They're family too!"

Sure . . . mm-hm. Just leave the animal in the car, and join the other people inside for hours and hours . . .

I'm no animal owner, but, people: please do your four-legged dependents a favor. Leave. Them. Home. They'll probably be more comfortable. They won't wildly freak out, misbehave or bark when someone passes by. Think how the animal feels being locked up!

Michelle Sneaks Maurier

Meredith