Patti sent sent a concerned email to the West Texas Humane Society, and copied it to the news channel.
A few days after she received the following from Mary Hatfield, President of the West Texas Humane Society, in response to her email:
"As president of the Humane Society of West Texas, I most humbly apologize for the remark that a Humane Society volunteer made associating Wiccan beliefs with animal sacrifice and torture. It is certainly not the official position of the Humane Society nor any other animal rescue organization that Wiccans or members of any other neo-pagan religion are cruel or inhumane. The remark was motivated more by nervousness on the part of the volunteer than any opinion or idea about Wiccans (and let's also not say that such cruelty is the work of mischievous kids. Behavior like that goes far beyond mischief into misdeameanor and felony.).Along with others in my organization, I have a great appreciation for earth-centered and life-centered beliefs and practices and feel Wicca has made valuable contributions to our culture and to our discourse about how we should live on this planet. I feel our organizations are natural allies.I so profoundly and deeply apologize for the remark."
I only hope that this apology was made public on the same paper, not simply sent as a private email to Patti. Arght, we still have to face this kind of misinformation... Pagans are still related as animal sacrifice lovers! I understand that at this time of the year pet adoption's centers do have to be more careful because some people, who have nothing to do with the Old Path, do take these poor little creatures to be tortured - gods know how cruel and twisted some minds can be - specially on Halloween night. But Hello?! Let's read more, please. Most of us (let's not talk about those above-mentioned cruel&twisted minds) loves and respects all kinds of animals, and would never harm a pet, it goes against everything we believe!
