Written by PETA
Letting our animal companions wander the mean streets is careless and dangerous at any time of year, but that's especially true around Halloween, and even more so if the animal is a black cat. But some people seem to be in extreme denial about the perils that Halloween poses for ebony-colored felines.
Take the Sowards family of Florida. According to a newspaper article, the family let their black cat, Jinxy Boo, outdoors in the late afternoon on Halloween. The next morning, Jinxy Boo showed up on their patio with injuries so severe that she had to be euthanized. A veterinarian suspects that someone may have placed a firecracker in Jinxy Boo's rectum and exploded it.
That's appalling, but get this: According to the article, Jinxy Boo is the third cat the Sowards have lost around Halloween. The third cat! Apparently, the family got her to replace their previous black cat who disappeared on Halloween.
There is no excuse for abusing animals, and anyone who does so is probably a serial killer in training, but if we let our cats or dogs outdoors alone, we are effectively handing our companions over to animal torturers with a sign around their neck that says, "I'm all yours!" Let's promise not to let our beloved animals end up like Jinxy Boo: allow them outdoors only on closely supervised excursions.
Written by Lindsay Pollard-Post
If these people had previously lost an animal on Halloween, then why would they want a repeat.
It only seems like common sence to keep your pets indoors on such an occasion. I learned my lesson years ago on devils night, when my cat was tied to a tree and had gasoline poured on her and set on fire. I have never let my pets out on Halloween since, it only took once for me to get it !
The Sowards family of Florida needs to wake the F up! They are contributing to the torture of their animals by letting them outside unsupervised. Their third cat!--obviously they don't know how to take care of animals--or care at all. They will just get another cat to torture for next year. They are just as much to blame as the "fire cracker" terrorist who tortured this cat. RIP Jinxy Boo!
Love you PETA - go veg!
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