1/23/07 Fat Cat, Porky Puppy

Do I detect a hint of prejudice? According to last week`s newspapers it seems quite peachy if you happen to be a "fat cat." But it is another matter all together if you are a porky puppy. While Hercules, the over 20 pound kitty whose girth got him stuck in a neighbors doggy door was being celebrated as toast of Portland Oregon, an ocean away two brothers in Britain were arrested and found guilty of animal cruelty by virtue of over feeding fido. It seems that Rusty a ten year old lab was so fat he could only walk a few steps before sitting down for a breather thus the animal welfare authorities slapped the owners with animal cruelty charge and actually took custody of Rusty until he lost 45 pounds. Rusty was recently released back to his owners under a strict three year probation period and will be removed from his family permanently if he gains more weight. Meanwhile in Portland, Hercules the cat was basking in his "fat cat" status and instead of animal cruelty charges both the cat and his owner are enjoying 15 minutes of fame . What does this tell us about life in the grand old USA .