World Farm Day was Oct. 2. Albert Schweitzer said “Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight.” The Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen has a bumper sticker that says “If slaughter houses had windows we'd all be vegetarians.”

More than 55 billion land animals are killed for food each year - that's 150 million/day. From birth, they are caged and crowded, deprived and drugged, manhandled and mutilated.

More and more people are allowing themselves to become aware of the terrible suffering that animals go through during their lives and when they are killed. That includes animals that we kill to eat, to wear, for sport, for entertainment, for experimentation, in puppy mills, etc.

In one week, the week of Sept. 22, two national television programs focused on the plight of animals. Oprah Winfrey did a second program segment on the horrors of puppy mills, which included the news that nothing has happened to the Amish farmer who shot his 80 dogs (described in my last column, which also appears online at www.cayugaanimaladvocates.org). The Ellen DeGeneres show had Wayne Pacelle, the head of The Humane Society of the United States, on as a guest with a focus on the plight of farm animals.

Compassion requires us to recognize the pain of another being and try to do something to eliminate or lessen it. We can all do our part by becoming vegetarians or vegans, by not buying fur (not even fur trim), by not buying puppies but adopting from shelters, by not buying products that are tested on animals. The “sport” of hunting will be the subject of another column.

I recently read a letter by the son of a butcher who says that there is no such thing at present as humane slaughter. He describes animals being stuffed into trucks, driven miles, prodded onto the killing floor and killed in front of all the other animals waiting to die.

“No one can tell me that they aren't aware of the suffering they endure.” He asks why more humane methods cannot be developed if we must kill for meat. “Doing the killing with a shot to the head on the farm or nearby and out of sight of the herd would significantly reduce the trauma.”

Cayuga Animal Advocates has a Web site where one can give just 10-15 minutes per week to help animals. There is a section called “Stand up for Animals” where one can click on links to sign various petitions to help animals or send form e-mails to lawmakers. It is quick, easy, educational and can be done from home.

Other parts of the site provide information on animal laws and tips on adopting pets, behavior problems, spay and neuter myths, etc. and a listing of all animal services in Cayuga County.

Judy Vorreuter is the founder and director of Animal Advocates of the Finger Lakes. Contact her at judy@cayugaanimaladvocates.org