The medical community is preparing to be able to handle the infected people, but the infected animals also have to be taken care of or they will re-infect the people.

I hope to make people realize how totally helpless animals are, how dependent on us, trusting as a child must that we will be kind and take care of their needs... [They] are an obligation put on us, a responsibility we have no right to neglect, nor to violate by cruelty.

People with psychiatric disabilities can participate in their community. They can be valued citizens, but when we institutionalize them, we sort of give them permanent careers as mental patients.

That picture only expresses what people in this community are feeling.

For years I've been trying to understand why people who keep these animals are prepared to invest so much money, time and emotional resources. Superficially, there's no apparent gain from it.

It's up to the community to make this event a success. People don't have to do anything out of the ordinary to participate. They aren't required to give any extra. All you have to do to participate is go out to eat in one of our wonderful area restaurants.