Dogs were abandoned by owner and by community

Dogs were abandoned by owner and by community
EDITOR:
I was appalled after reading the article in Thursday nights paper, "Debris and dead dogs in house & quot;.
Those poor animals were left alone to starve to death. They were most likely so scared and wondered why their supposed owner/guardian just abandoned them.
What is even more repulsive to me is that people knew about their hopeless plight. The neighbors, mailman and the zoning department official. What is wrong with these people that they didn't think it necessary to try to help? To call the appropriate organization, even though I don't feel any of our animal welfare organizations are worth even mentioning. We have a slight, and I mean slight few that really do good by the animals. The rest say they help but you never see results.
These people just went about their daily business with no remorse about those animals starving to death. It sickens me that our neighbors and community just "don't want to get involved." It saddens me that people are not willing to help animals and people alike in a time of desperation. I do believe what goes around comes around. And I truly hope those people who stood back and didn't help those defenseless animals out of that hell will one day experience the feeling of no one wanting to make their problem theirs. If people starting caring about one another and all living creatures this world we live in would be a better place.
Think about the consequences before just turning your back on someone or something that truly needs your help. Imagine their pain. Feel their pain and then make your decision. I think in the end people can't be all that bad and would be willing to lend that helping hand.
ARLIA SLAINA
Youngstown
Where once two trees stood tall, now there are two holes
EDITOR:
My neighbors had three 30-year-old red maple trees and a blue spruce. A landscaper planted them there when the house was built. As soon as the weather warms up, my neighbor would be out in his yard (after his morning walk), manicuring his landscape. They're nice, retired people, who enjoy gardening, working in the yard and love spending time with their family. They're peaceful people. The kind that most people would love to have as neighbors. Three generations of his family would enjoy sitting under those trees in their lawn chairs on warm summer evenings.
About six months ago, First Energy came along with their $300 million in federal grant money for what the company called its reclamation project. For those of you who are fortunate enough to have an easement on your property, it means that First Energy is using the grant money to cut down trees within 25 feet of lower voltage power lines and 50 feet of higher voltage lines in Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania.
First Energy first approached my neighbor to get his written permission to remove the blue spruce and trim some branches off the red maple. As long as he gave his permission, they would hire a tree service to do the work and grind up the stump at no cost to him. In exchange, he gets a $75 gift card from either Home Depot or Lowe's. All that for his years of nurturing those trees, not to mention the aesthetic value they added to his landscape.
A few months later, First Energy decided to also cut down the red maple instead of just trimming it back. After they ground up the stump, they left him to clean up the wood chips. Now there are two holes in the ground where there once stood a beautifully manicured blue spruce and red maple. His choice was either give them the permission or they would do it anyway and he'd be left with stumps and no gift cards. Sound like a fair deal to you?
LYNN ZAJAC
Struthers