To print this article, select file from your browser's menu, then select print . I am what you might call an armchair animal rights activist. I care about the welfare of all animals and even occasionally step in to protect an animal from harm, but I also believe that there is nothing wrong with eating meat and wearing leather. I am opposed to trophy hunting, but I understand the need to kill an animal to feed a family.
Some people seem to be born with an innate love and understanding of our furry little friends.
Others couldn't care less about an animal's need for love, shelter, and food. As a child growing up in the country, I collected everything that moved. Stray cats and dogs and the occasional escapee calf would follow me home. I would build condos out of cardboard shoeboxes for my pet toads. I nursed many an injured rabbit after one of my cats would raid a nest and use the bunnies for batting practice.