I am a volunteer with Wildlife Rehabilitation and Release, a nonprofit organization dedicated to rescuing injured and orphaned wildlife. I am horrified at a rescue I went to recently for a young raccoon.

Evidently, the man who shot this youngster, has a cat door into his home for his cat. Instead of closing the cat door at night to keep the raccoons from seeking the cat food, he blasted it in the face and body with buck shot and left it suffering for six hours before a neighbor contacted us to help it.

After having the animal X-rayed to and seeing the lead scattered throughout its little body and caring for it overnight (he left it half paralyzed), I am disgusted with how this person and many like him view these creatures and treat them with such little regard.

The wildlife around us has as much right to live as do our pets. They are all equal creatures of this Earth. It is not that difficult to have a “problem” wild animal leave you and your pets alone. Just do not leave food out that will tempt them to your space and they will not bother you.

Jan Crowell

Grass Valley