A world of starvation

A starving boy cries inside a compound run by Doctors Without Borders in famine-torn South Sudan. In the front yard of a house in Durham, N.C., a pit bull terrier defends her turf; animal control officials found 17 dogs of the same breed chained to trees, poles and pipes during a police drug raid.

The boy and the dog are both probably going to die. The child will likely starve and the dog will be euthanized.

With so many charities out there clamoring for your money, the question is: Who to help? Do you give your money to the animals or the starving kids?

I am amused by the TV ads that ask for more help for a sick dog than for a starving child in Africa. A forum on Yahoo Answers poses this question: “Would you rather help starving kids in Africa or help starving dogs in the country you live in?” It created quite a bit of chatter. What’s your answer?