Alaskans still waiting

If Exxon has one quarter of almost $10.5 billion in profit - that would be $10,490,000,000 for the last quarter I believe - I would venture that they must have made about $40,000,000,000 in profit for the last year.

So why hasn't Exxon settled the lawsuit for dumping the oil in Alaska around 17 years ago? I recently heard that the fishermen who couldn't fish because of the spill have yet to receive a penny from their lost wages. Obviously our Congress is too busy with other matters than getting Exxon to help these families; maybe, if people let their congressmen know that this issue should have been addressed about 16 years ago, it will get done now.

Exxon's board apparently doesn't care about a family that is supported by fishermen, but 17 years? I would be willing to bet that some of the men owed money by Exxon have died and Exxon's lawyers are waiting for more to do so.

Cameron Blagg III, Albany

Cats with no place to go

Cat overpopulation in Linn County is a huge issue and one that affects the community in which we live. The recent decision by Heartland Humane Society in Corvallis to no longer accept animals outside of Benton County has left a gap in services for cats and kittens in Linn county. While Linn County funds dog control, no county services exist for stray, abandoned, or homeless cats and kittens. Those of us involved in animal welfare are concerned what the future might be for the hundreds of cats and kittens that have no place to go.

At SafeHaven Humane Society we are one of a few "Full Adoption" shelters in Oregon, and we are strongly committed to not euthanizing animals for the sake of kennel space. We are a small nonprofit that handles approximately 1,000 dogs and cats each year. We do not receive any funding from the county or city. All of our operating funds come from donations, bequests, special events, fund-raising, adoptions and intake fees.

On average, we receive more than 30 calls each day from people in the community who are often frustrated because they have no place to bring the stray, abandoned, or unwanted cat or kittens. SafeHaven is doing what we can to help, but at any given time we only have room to house approximately 30 dogs and 50 cats/kittens. Because animals are not euthanized for space, once our kennels are full we have to limit intake of other animals until space becomes available in the shelter or through our foster care network.

We are committed to helping the community find a solution to the current lack of resources available to cats and kittens. Currently, we are working with local veterinarians to help fund more low-income spay/neuter programs, which will help to reduce the number of cats/kittens needing services. We believe that spay/neuter programs are the long-term solution to the cat population problem.

We are also asking local governments to re-evaluate their lack of animal control services. We believe that there needs to be an immediate community resource for cats, like there is for dogs, that have been abused, neglected, injured or are strays. Someone who finds a stray may not be able to wait until space is available, an injured stray may need immediate medical attention, an abused or neglected cat may need to be housed for months while the case is prosecuted, and so on.

SafeHaven will always help when we have space available, but who will help these animals when our kennels are full?

Chris Storm, executive director, SafeHaven Humane Society, Albany

Animals need more support

Thanks for putting in the paper (Nov. 4) the picture of the firefighter trying to save a cat's life with oxygen mask and "kitty" CPR.

This town needs pictures like that, and also the great pet picture contest you just did, since our mayor vetoed the recommendations of Dick Olsen and the cat committee a year or so ago.

Now Albany and Linn County, noted in your recent editorial, are in a pickle, as Corvallis quit taking the cats Linn County people want euthanized. Euthanization is an awful so-called solution, in itself.

Kudos to you for your support of this old earth and its animals.

Mary Brock, Albany

Decimated by cougars

Governor, it is time to get you head out of Portland. Do something for the rest of the state. Right now in Southwestern Oregon our deer and elk, and even cattle populations are being decimated by cougar populations. There are no government hunters there, and there are hundreds of individuals willing to help out for free.

Portland and the Willamette Valley may be where the votes come from, but they are not the only people in the state. When you say that the people of Oregon have already spoken on this issue, that is wrong. Portland spoke on this, while the rest of us were jumping in the background waving our hands. But we are unheard.

The irony also is that there are no cougars in Portland. The people of Portland can't be expected to understand our problem. It's time to do something for this state that isn't just to get elected again. Take a stand for the rest of Oregon.

Dylan Hitner, Corvallis