Many of us have a pet we love; it may be a dog, cat, bird or rabbit. We have a special kinship with it. We view our pet as a member of our family. We often fail, however, to recognize and respect the beauty and diversity of all animals.

Each day a little part of our wildlife treasury is destroyed. Man's thoughtless behavior has brought about the extinction of many species. Many creatures are seen as dumb and expendable so man hunts them for pleasure. Instead, we need to feel strongly about mistreated and slain animals.

Irresponsible human actions affect our natural world. Air pollution is a threat to our national parks and wilderness areas. Illegal dumping of toxic waste threatens our oceans and the creatures that live there. Dolphins need protection from thoughtless fishermen. Marine animals become entangled in plastic debris left on beaches. The destruction of rainforests will lead to the extinction of many rare species.

Animals have roamed the earth and shared its resources since the beginning of time. They have survived earth's natural disasters. We must be responsible for respecting and saving our earth, natural resources and animal friends.

We all have a moral obligation to secure effective laws and regulations to save endangered species. We can write our representatives in Congress to urge them to vote for laws that will protect nature and endangered species. They must hear that we respect and love our world with its diverse creatures and beauty. Above all, we must ensure that future generations will know all of these creatures.