Vegetarian Star

Basketball player Ron Artest admits he hasn’t always been the poster boy for pet owners. In 1997, animal control officers were called to his home to find his Great Dane underweight and sick. Neighbors had tipped off authorities that Artest often went away on long trips, leaving his dogs without food and water.

Authorities had been called to Artest’s home three times before and removed dogs from his residence.

Now, Artest has claimed to have cleaned up his act, even working with PETA to record a PSA urging pet owners to spay and neuter their animals.

Is this a permanent change? We sure hope so.

“I was an irresponsible pet owner, and I got in some trouble,” Artest said, in an interview with the Houston Chronicle at chron.com. “PETA came and showed me how to be a better pet owner. A lot of times, it’s a simple thing. One of my problems was that the fence around my home wasn’t safe enough. I had a lot of dogs, and they kept getting out. The thing is, just because you’re irresponsible, it doesn’t mean you don’t love your pets. I loved my dogs. You just need to be more mature and accountable for how you treat your animals. I had to be educated.”

Animal neglect is such an ugly issue. It’s hard to imagine how a person could even commit acts of the nature. So we are hoping that the NBA star who’s earned a bad boy reputation on and off the court won’t be called out for any more fouls in this area.

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