Normally I wait until the end of the year to select my Humanitarian of the Year, but when I read about the recent heroism demonstrated by Margaret Trask of Beaufort, South Carolina, I decided I couldn't waste any more time. Congratulations Ms. Trask, you are NordSense's Humanitarian of the Year.
In March, Trask bravely purchased over $1,000 worth of cat food from a local WalMart to save Beaufort's cats from potential poisoning. Trask had already made two trips to the store and was returning for a third when managers asked her to leave.
Prompted by reports of a recall of more than 60 million cans of possibly tainted dog and cat food, Trask decided to take matters into her own hands. Realizing that most cat owners are too stupid to figure out not to buy food that might kill their pets, Trask cleared the shelves of as much of the recalled cat food she could, then went back for more. Like all brave practitioners of civil disobedience before her, Trask was quickly shut down by the long arm of the law.
Nevertheless, Trask's efforts are being praised by cat-lovers everywhere, as well as elderly and homeless people who also rely heavily on the recalled brands of pet food Trask disposed of.
"I can't thank her enough," Mable Hoofenbeck, 83, said. "I can't imagine what would have happened if I would have eaten some of that poisoned food. And it probably was only a matter of time because that brand is exactly what I eat every night for supper. That woman saved my life."
WalMart managers confirmed the brand's popularity among elderly shoppers.
"Oh they just love that stuff," store manager Brian Meade said. "I mean their cats. Their cats just love that stuff. Yeah."
I addition to the elderly, Trask received praise from homeless people throughout the area. Among them is Ed Jeffries, a recent fixture around Beaufort and frequent cat food connoisseur.
"Yeah I eat that sh*t all the time," Jeffries said. "They always pile a bunch of it out behind the Kitty Kennel. I guess it's whatever the cats won't eat. It keeps pretty good, except for summer. I find it goes best with a man can of steel reserve."
"I wasn't too worried about [the recall]," Jeffries said. "I think I've built up a pretty good tolerence for most things in my time out on the street. But I'd still like to thank that woman for looking out for me. Not only did she prevent me from getting a potentially fatal disease, she prevented me from eating for a week. God bless you, Margaret Trask."
God bless her, indeed. Congratulations Ms. Trask. You deserve it.
