RECENTLY, my house was broken into and my items were stolen. Well you could only imagine my frustration. I was placed at a severe disadvantage because the items stolen were of great value to me. Thankfully however, I was able to find the person who broke into my home and recover at least one of the items that were stolen from me. After putting aside my own frustration and disgust for the thief, I was brought to the realisation that for some people, thieving is a means of generating income. Thieves strike in order to exchange those stolen items for money and other forms of payment. In Kaieteur News, August 30, 2010 edition, another thief was hauled away by police, after robbing a couple at knifepoint at the botanical gardens.
Well dear Editor, I recently came across the Pounds (Amendment) Act 2010, my reason for writing this letter. This amendment was made to the original Pounds Act to ensure that for each stray animal caught and carried to the pound, the individual will be paid five thousand dollars. That’s right dear Editor, the government has raised payment for impounding one stray animals, from one thousand dollars, to a whopping five thousand dollars. Wow! Just think, people who resort to thieving in order to get money can now make an honest living, without placing themselves at risk of being incarcerated, or even severely beaten when caught, as is common Guyanese culture when it comes to thieves. There are hundreds of stray animals that roam the streets every day.  At five thousand dollars per animal, just two animals will secure ten thousand dollars for that stray catcher. Wow.
Dear editor, there is no excuse for stealing. It is a most despicable and immoral act to unlawfully acquire someone else’s belonging through theft. The Pounds (Amendment) Act 2010 creates a sustainable and reliable source of employment that generates an honest day’s pay.