For many, Tuesday's Butler Eagle article about the rescue of three neglected quarter horses was heartbreaking. The owner should not have rested until he found someone to help care for, or take over ownership of, the horses.

Instead, he allowed the condition of the horses to worsen over a period of months, almost to the point of being life threatening.

But as heartbreaking as that incident was, it is just as troubling that so many other horses are being placed in similar danger by their owners in this county.

Pamela Vivirito, founder of Equine Angels Rescue of Cabot, says her organization has been overwhelmed by rescues, which she said were virtually nonstop, peaking at about 39 horses a month ago.

The scope of the problem is perplexing; few people would expect to see such a troubling scenario in a county in which farming and rural life play such an important role.

There must be stepped-up efforts to get the word out to people who can no longer afford to provide for their animals — about who to contact and what to do. The three quarter horses most recently rescued and the volume of work Equine Angels Rescue has been doing confirms that not enough is known about the help that's available.

Equine Angels merits praise for the work that it does, but people who irresponsibly put their animals — horses, cows, whatever — in peril, like the owner of the three horses rescued on Jan. 31, should face charges.

The neglect of these animals is abhorrent.

Butler County Judge William Shaffer wasn't wrong regarding the creative sentence he handed out to 20-year-old Nicole Watterson of Harrisville, who served as the getaway driver in a theft that could have had tragic consequences.In addition to $10,000 restitution and probation, Shaffer ordered her to get a job. She could have faced a maximum of five years behind bars.Watterson must submit six job applications a week until she finds full-time employment.But creative sentencing should not be an option when Shaffer decides the fate of Watterson's boyfriend, Zachary Atwell, 21, also of Harrisville, who on Aug. 23 stole at least 900 feet of signal wire belonging to the Canadian National Railway in Slippery Rock Township.According to police, the wire helps operate the railroad's safety-detection system.Railroad officials told police that the theft disrupted service at the Branchton Road crossing. Police said the theft also posed a danger to public safety.That's why Atwell doesn't deserve a lenient sentence when he faces Shaffer on March 12. The charge of risking a catastrophe should be dealt with sternly, despite Atwell pleading guilty rather than opting for a trial.Watterson's attorney told Shaffer that her love for Atwell was the motivation for participating in the crime. But a man who truly loves a woman doesn't put her in circumstances that could lead to harm, as Atwell did to Watterson.Besides complying with the terms of her sentence, Watterson should rethink her relationship with Atwell.

Butler County residents’ spirit of compassion and generosity was evident again last Sunday, this time on behalf of the Drew Pearce family, whose Evans City area mobile home was destroyed by fire on Feb. 1.It’s true that family members will struggle to return their lives to normalcy. But, that process has been made easier by the many people who stepped forward to help the family during last Sunday’s collection of money, clothing and household items at the Evans City firehall.Donations of money and other items didn’t just come from residents of the Evans City area. Brett Wagner, an Evans City firefighter and friend of Drew Pearce, said donations came from as far away as northern Butler County and even from Wexford in northern Allegheny County.Wagner described the outpouring of help as “phenomenal.”Those who contributed to help the family in its time of need — the family lost almost everything — can feel blessed to have the resources that allow them to lessen someone else’s plight.Those who offered household items that might not be needed can watch for a time when they can help another family who has suffered a similar loss.