MILLEDGEVILLE — I know it’s not officially summertime, but it’s hot enough to be summer. Guess it’s time to remind everyone to please leave their pets at home in the air conditioning. Do not love them to the point of allowing them to suffer in your hot car while you’re shopping or having lunch.

Dogs have no business being on a chain any time, but especially not in the hot weather.

If the dog knocks over his water bowl early in the day, he’ll be suffering by the time you get home in the evening when you check on him. Give your pets a break and bring them into the house. Cats and dogs are better companions when they are allowed to spend time indoors with the family.

ARF has had several litters of puppies and kittens come in this season, and we are full. We’ve also had two kittens dumped at our doorstep. One was taking his last breath and the other kitten was just a few breaths away from that. We don’t know how long the kittens were at our door; it could have been all night or early that morning. We truly wish that if these kittens were your kittens that you accepted responsibility for them and provided care for them. If you just found them, a note about where you found them would have helped us have a better opinion of the person who dropped them off.

I saw someone at the grocery store who told me they “caught” a woman — with teenagers in the car — dumping kittens off on a country road. To dump poor innocent kittens — or puppies — on a road that is not used often — is cruel, but to teach the children “how it’s done” is horrible! This is not the first time we’ve heard of parents taking their children out while dumping animals. What are these parents teaching their children? They are teaching them that animals are disposable trash, not worthy of care. There is always more where they came from. What these parents should be teaching children is that animals are God’s creatures, too, and we are responsible for caring for them. We should teach the children that animals feel pain and they undergo horrendous suffering when dumped along the side of the road.

So, now, today, Memorial Day (my column was written a day before it was published), not only do I pay my respects to those who have fought for our freedoms, I am also mourning the loss of so many unwanted animals.

I’ve said in previous columns that I am working toward retirement. One of the primary reasons I am going to retire is my failure to successfully promote animal welfare through ARF. If you don’t think ARF or I have failed, then you need to come to ARF on days we take in animals and sit in the office and answer the phone. Most of us are tired and burned out. ARF has been my life’s work, but I have been taking a much needed break from being down at the shelter.

My heart will always be with the animals and to demanding their right to be loved by humans. My commitment will always be strong with ARF. My donations will always be there when ARF is in need.

And, ARF is in need now, financially. We had a yard sale, and we are partnering with the Oconee River Greenway Foundation to provide food for the BRAG (Bicycle Ride Across Georgia). Approximately 1,200 BRAG riders will come through Milledgeville Monday, June 6, and will spend the night here. We hope that both organizations are successful with this fundraiser.

ARF also has tie-dye T-shirts for sale. E-mail us or send us a post on Facebook and we’ll make arrangements to get a shirt to you.

And now, for my big request. As I said, ARF is again in need of financial help. We cannot take care of the animals when very little money is coming in. All cats and kittens are tested for feline leukemia. They are wormed. They start, and many times finish, the series of kitten vaccinations. And we spay and neuter them. Same with the dogs and puppies. We test the adult dogs, worm everyone, begin vaccinations and spay and neuter them. We start dogs on heartworm prevention. We take great care of these animals, and you expect no less from ARF.

If every person or family in Baldwin County could commit to donating just $10 every month to ARF, we would have no financial problems. A few people wouldn’t have to write large checks every few months. We could probably set up a free spay and neuter program! Just think of how much that would help everyone in Baldwin County, especially the homeless animals.

I’ll let you know how successful you’ve allowed us to be over the summer.