Until around 2001 or so I basically avoided owning a pet. I liked animals, but as a relatively young man my interests precluded being tied down with the responsibility of caring for another. I knew someone who horded animals -- many scores of them. This person was a relative. I recall visiting and being disturbed about the situation. Alas, I didn't do anything to alleviate the situation, however. I can still see the sad face of a dog eaten up with mites and ticks.

Eventually I did step in, and that is how I came to be the benefactor of as many dogs and cats as I have. Now I am so tied down I can only go to work and home. But I wouldn't have it any other way. I recall once when after I had started rescuing animals that on a certain visit I observed a pen of nearly 20 cats. There was no food. There was no water. I filled a large container with water, and the cats crawled over each other like rats to get a drink. So I set about to rectify that situation. In short, I catnapped all but one of the cats -- about 18, I think. I took all of the cats to the local animal shelter.

I was well acquainted with the shelter and its personnel. They were good people who worked very hard to adopt every animal that came in. Sadly, however, many of their animals were put down. Regarding the cats, I stayed in touch. Since I was always on the lookout for a stray, and pretty regularly came across one, I was a regular at the shelter. A few days after delivering the cats to the shelter, the manager informed me that all of the cats appeared to be in good health, and were very easy to deal with.

To make a long story short, every one of those cats was adopted!