Dear Annie: Bang on your car’s hood to keep animals seeking warmth safe

Dear Annie: Thank you so much for printing the letter from “Hungry Pets.” I applaud her suggestions and was grateful for your response. I just wanted to add one or two absolutely crucial suggestions.

In cold climates, the warmth of a hot car engine is irresistible to a freezing and hungry animal, and I think just how often this leads to a situation beyond horrific would shock people. Please, please, to all who read this and love animals, just bang on your hood three times before you start your car in the morning.

My second suggestion: whether you recycle or not, please crush any metal cans that have had food in them, and if possible, put the lids back on plastic containers. An animal with its head trapped in a can will die a terrible death, just for the crime of being hungry, and this also happens more frequently than anyone can know.

Thank you for your time and for all the good you do, Annie. — Hit the Hood

Dear Hit the Hood: Thank you for your letter. These are two wonderful suggestions to help our animal friends, especially during the colder months.

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“How Can I Forgive My Cheating Partner?” is out now! Annie Lane’s second anthology — featuring favorite columns on marriage, infidelity, communication and reconciliation — is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit Creators Publishing for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to [email protected].