"Hear our prayer O Lord ... for animals that are overworked, underfed and cruelly treated; for all wistful creatures in captivity that beat their wings against bars; for any that are hunted or lost or deserted or frightened or hungry; for all that must be put to death.... and for those who deal with them we ask a heart of compassion and gentle hands and kindly words," Albert Schweitzer.

Attempts to meet the needs of animals in Leitchfield and Grayson County have recently been stymied as various factions revert to concerns about money, space and convenience instead of animals.

I suppose it never fails. When the topic of animals arises in any community, there are those who feel that if one loves animals, they hate human beings. I recently made that statement that I often like animals more than people, to which a woman launched into a tirade about abortion rights and starving babies. Where does this come from? I never said anything about abortion. And all you have to do is look at photos of my children as chubby-cheeked babies to realize they were never starved.

Not that I ever wore a fur coat, but I've seen how people who do are treated. While attending a charity function, a woman standing about 50 feet away from me was doused with red paint.

It's emotional. It's volatile. It's the way we proceed when faced with the fact that animals are not treated very well. Those who love animals and fight for their protection distrust those who do not. Those who do not harbor such a deep appreciation for the furry, feathered and scaled members of society view animal lovers as odd ducks.

The fact remains, there are too many animals left running the streets of Leitchfield and surrounding neighborhoods. Despite the fact that over 300 animals have been adopted since the first of the year in Grayson County, 508 have been taken in for care.

My farm is a haven for animals. I have six dogs, three inside cats, herds of outside cats, geese, ducks, peacocks, guineas, horses, cows -- let's just say it's well-populated on the Haynes' hacienda. In the past, I've granted safekeeping for two skinny, starved pigs, a runaway horse, an amorous goat and a sheep named Precious. Let's face it -- we have done our part for the animals. If I could, I would gladly take in any animal that needed a home. However, I have to work and help produce a newspaper. My husband must work. Children must go to school. We don't have time to tend the homeless animals of central and western Kentucky. And sadly, neither can the vast majority of people. And so the responsibility for taking care of animals in need falls to the county, the city and organizations like the Humane Society.

So, why all the problems? Perhaps it is money. Grayson County opted to bow out of the three-party deal involving the operation of a shelter with the city of Leitchfield and the Humane Society because they could spend less money by transporting homeless animals to Butler County. Perhaps it was a decline in the spirit of cooperation. Too many cooks and all that line of thinking. The decision left the city and the society holding the bag, no matter what the reason.

In the end, animals will suffer. The shelter will be taken over by the Humane Society and supported in part by the city. They will largely depend on donations and community involvement for survival and success in their venture.

"All animals are equal," said George Orwell, British author of "Animal Farm" in 1945, "but some are more equal than others."

Indeed.