To the Editor,

Weirton has several colonies of community cats — cats that live outdoors, have been neutered or spayed and are cared for by volunteers or store employees. Some of these colonies have been in the same places for a decade or more.

Recently, during the cold snaps, someone who apparently likes to cause suffering to animals collected all of the bins and boxes that the cats live in by Gabe’s and the downtown car wash and threw them away, even though those bins and boxes were not their property. Worse yet, this person left the cats to die in freezing weather. One cat was found frozen to the ground.

People everywhere should be appalled by this cruelty.

This sort of abuse is disturbing behavior. What sort of person would purposely inflict pain and suffering on helpless animals? It indicates someone who is unable to feel empathy or compassion, and there’s a good chance that these characteristics radiate out into interactions with other humans.

It would be a good idea for us to thank all the volunteers who help animals, the ones who trap cats for spaying and neutering, the ones who take care of the county shelter and all other local shelters, the ones who volunteer many hours at the Hancock County Humane Foundation, as well as the people who donate money to keep these organizations going.

Carol Teaff

Weirton