I am furious. I am an 18-year-old University of Washington student. I do not live at home, I live in Seattle, but this past weekend I had to come home to Liberty Lake to put down my beautiful and loving 10-year-old childhood cat. She was my best friend. The veterinarian said that her kidneys were failing, most likely because of ingestion of antifreeze.

This is not the first time this has happened to my family. When I was 13, my other much younger cat had to be put down as well because of the same thing. Same symptoms, same diagnosis. I have seen two animals that I love wither away because of the irresponsibility of some Liberty Lake residents.

When my first cat died, I was not old enough to process the emotions in a healthy way. But now, I am. No more innocent animals should die because of the irresponsibility of the humans around them.

Please, for the sake of all animals in Liberty Lake, take care of your antifreeze. Clean up the spills from your car, and be diligent about the maintenance of your pipes. If there is a puddle, it is likely that an animal will walk through it or drink from it. Children are also susceptible to anti-freeze poisoning.

I hoped that when I graduated college, Faith would still be around; cats can live up to 20 years. Because she cannot be, I would like Liberty Lake to be a safer place for every child's pet to live a long, healthy life. The bond a child makes with their pets is strong, and I would hate to watch any more children have to go through what I have.

So, to conclude, be careful when you are using antifreeze. It may save the lives of your children's or neighbor's children's pets. I love Liberty Lake, and I am glad to call it home, but this should not happen again. Be responsible, for all of our pets' and children's sake.