County defined by compassion, not cruelty

Just about everyone by now knows that Evans was recently named by Family Circle magazine as one of the top 10 places for families to live in the United States.

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But just lately you might have to wonder: Are we trying to attract attention as the animal cruelty capital of the world?

Consider: We recently saw the awful reports of the Evans man and his brother, who horrified a neighbor by taking turns in their backyard bashing in the skull of a cow with a hammer.

Then, this past weekend, we read about poachers skulking onto the property of Brown Feed and Seed in the dead of night, killing and hacking up an alligator that had lived peacefully in a pond.

Fortunately, these episodes are dreadful not just because of the cruelty involved, but because of their rarity. Far more prevalent - though clearly less heralded or sensationalized - are the day-to-day activities of the county's Animal Care and Control staff and all the private, volunteer rescue groups operating to save and protect animals in the county.

And anyone can help. For example, this Friday, Heartsong Animal Rescue will hold a spaghetti dinner at Mario's, in the Publix shopping center on Washington Road in Evans. The event will help raise funds not only for Heartsong and the Augusta Animal Rescue Friends, but also for the family of a man injured in a car crash.

Every weekend, Heartsong, CSRA Happy Tails, Molly's Militia and other similar rescue groups hold adoption events at such places as PetSmart and Tractor Supply. Pet adoptions are available daily at Columbia County Animal Care and Control. And, most importantly, Heartsong and the Columbia County Humane Society offer low-cost spay/neuter clinics for all adopted pets not already "fixed."

We get in on the act, too: The News-Times provides space each week to rescue groups and Animal Control to publicize available pets and services.

These stories go on day in, day out, and rarely get as much attention as such acts as the horrible hacking of a docile reptile. Even so, it's the daily, compassionate activities of animal workers and volunteers that define Columbia County and make it a great place to live - for people and animals.