VETERANS WAY

BY REV. FREDERICK MILLER. PH.D.

Veterans face a host of unique challenges that civilian members of American society don’t always understand. The lack of institutional support often means Veterans find themselves in unfortunate situations with little to no outside help.

Homelessness

Approximately one third of all homeless Americans are Veterans. Veterans with untreated PTSD can develop alcohol and drug addictions, which are high-risk behaviors that can lead to deteriorating mental health and suicide. You can get in touch with the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, a nonprofit group dedicated to helping homeless veterans find housing, health services, food, and job training. Help can be reached by contacting either Kathryn Monet CEO, National Coalition for Homeless

Bailey Circus now moving to shows “without animals, and more than 150 cities and counties across 37 states having restricted or banned the use of wild animals in circuses and traveling shows, it has never been clearer that the public has turned its back on cruel and dangerous animal acts.”

Also testifiying, Joann Cave of Nesconset, representing the Humane Society of the United States, told the Suffolk Legislature that the society is “thoroughly in support of this resolution. There has definitely been a growing public awareness about the miserable lives that are endured by animals that are used in traveling shows. The animals spend most of their time in extreme confinement, and they are deprived of everything natural to them.

Spurring the introduction of the measure has been Sloth Encounters, a business in Hauppauge that has people hold, feed and pet sloths— slow-moving tree-dwelling tropical animals—and, according to an article in Newsday, offers “home visits.”

On its website, Sloth Encounters declares: “We are an animal loving company. We love all of our furry to scaly friends. From regular household pets to exotic animals.” It goes on: “We are New York's Premier location for Sloth Education as well as all animals at our location. The only place anywhere on Long Island that literally puts you in direct contact with our

Veterans kmonet@nchv.org

(202) 546-1969, or David O.O. Higgins Jr. Communications Manager, National Coalition for Homeless Veterans sloths.”

It adds: “Many states have laws that specifically prohibit individuals from keeping certain exotic animals— including sloths—as pets in their households. New York is not one of those states. In New York….you’re only prohibited from owning wild animals. Specifically, it’s a crime to own, possess, or harbor ‘a wild animal or reptile capable of inflicting bodily harm upon a human being.’ A sloth is NOT a wild animal.”

Bonnie Klapper of Sag Harbor, a former assistant U.S. attorney and legal counsel and a board member of Humane Long Island, said in an interview last week: “The proposed law seeks to protect both humans and animals from zoonotic diseases and injury such as bites. Currently, these wild animal acts are both underregulated and under-inspected. They move from place to place making inspection almost impossible. The last thing the world needs now is another pandemic resulting from the interaction between humans and wild animals.”