Here’s a little-known fact: November 6-12 is National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week, an event sponsored by The Humane Society of the United States to recognize and celebrate the lifesaving services provided by animal shelters across the country. This includes our very own Orcas animal shelter, located on the aptly named Hope Lane.

Animal shelters serve their communities in many ways: controlling stray dogs running at large, returning lost animals to their owners, reducing the number of stray cats by trapping and spaying/neutering feral felines, and helping families find new animal companions.

Perhaps most importantly, animal shelters provide a tangible example of humane ethics and compassion for all living creatures. Gandhi once wrote, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animal are treated.” In other words, a community that treats its animals well is one in which people are also well-treated.

In a few days, all Orcas residents will receive a copy of the Orcas shelter’s annual newsletter in their mailboxes. Before you toss it in the recycling bin, pause a moment to read a few of the “Happy Tails” – brief personal stories written by some of your Orcas friends and neighbors whose lives have been enriched by adopting a dog or cat from the Orcas APS shelter. The photos alone will have you smiling.

The only way the Orcas shelter can keep its doors open is with the help of contributions from people who support its mission of humane animal treatment. Please consider observing National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week by making use of the handy contribution envelope inside the newsletter. While you’re at it, pay a visit to the shelter at 84A Hope Lane, any day between 2 and 5 p.m. You may make a friend for life.

Craig Canine

President, Orcas Animal Protection Society