It's the holidays! And, honestly, who can resist the idea of a cute puppy in a little red ribbon?
Let me make one request, don't make the dog "surprise" a surprise. It may seem like you're taking some of the fun away, but trust me it will have a much happier ending if you include the future pet owner in the search!
There are so many animals behind cages at shelters waiting to rescued, and you can have the pick of so many wonderful new additions to the family. Still, just as people's interests are very diverse, don't pretend that you can pick the perfect animal for someone in your life, regardless of how well you know them.
You never know what is most important to them - should the dog be calm or playful, big or small, young or old, do they want to save one that has struggled to get get adopted in the past? Most importantly, how will they (and anyone else in their life) interact with the animal? Even if you ask the right questions, you won't find out how they feel about the animal until "game day."
Some shelters won't allow pets to be adopted and given as gifts, and for good reason, it's almost inevitable that the animal will come back to a shelter. If the person keeping the animal and caring for them day in and day out, isn't the person deciding on the animal, dozens of things can go wrong.
Perhaps the person thought a dog would be great, but didn't really think about how it might impact their travel schedule, or they figured it would be easier to have their cat get along with a dog, but it isn't happening. Regardless of the reason they might not be the right fit for that household, it's pretty common that pets given as gifts aren't the perfect fit for the person receiving the gift.
So rather than put the person you love through having to live with a pet that isn't a good fit for their family, or even worse having to make the decision to bring the pet to a shelter - just invite them into the rewarding experience of adopting a shelter pet.
Tell them you'll cover the costs and then enjoy a little time searching for their perfect fit with them.
You know that feeling you get when you know you've found the "it" gift for someone - something they will love beyond measure and you found it for them? Well, this will feel even better!
Enjoy and happy rescuing!
December 22, 2011
December 06, 2011
Lessons from a Pound Pup
I met Elliott when he had been in a cage for six months, give or take a few days.
A beautiful bronze-colored Chihuahua mix with huge ears that stuck straight up, people came in to the shelter and awed at how cute he was, but everyone ended up walking past him in the end.
Maybe it was the fact he had been returned to the shelter twice: once by a young woman who realized a dog was too much responsibility for her, and another time by a guy who tried to grab him too roughly and got a caution bite. Maybe it was because he didn't like big dogs. Maybe because he was five years old. Regardless, it was starting to look like Elliott's home might always be the shelter.
I started taking Elliott home a couple nights a month just to get him out of the shelter. Each time he became a little more at home and from the very first moment, he would snuggle in tightly at night, staying warm under the covers.
He loved being out of the shelter - he'd sprint across the lawn, play fetch endlessly and sit in our laps every spare second; he met big dogs and he liked them, and he never stopped wagging his tail - he took it all in.
Brandon and I eventually decided to foster Elliott. At this exact moment he's at home, proudly carrying around a pink boa constrictor stuffed animal - throwing it in the air every few seconds to entertain himself while I type.
After almost a year in a shelter, he has been in our home for two weeks and you would never know that he had lost 1/5 of his life to a cage.
In the first day as our foster, he learned to sit, lay down and roll over. He greets us excitedly when we get home, he never stops playing, he empties the toy box like it is his job, and he still never stops wagging his tail.
My message isn't only that shelter dogs are the best dogs - that you can save a life and find an incredible, loyal, amazing dog ... but also that perhaps we as people, should learn a thing or two from these incredible animals.
I can't help but think that if I were under those same conditions and stresses of shelter life that Elliott faced for a year, I wouldn't have recovered so quickly. I would be resentful to the family that dropped me off at the shelter, I would feel entitled to something incredible for the pain I endured.
Not Elliott.
Elliott is like many shelter pups I've seen and holds a strength in his soul that I hope to some day gain the wisdom to have.
He is grateful for every second he has.
He loves the good people in his life.
He forgives and and forgets the bad people who were in his life.
He takes time to play, to snuggle, and to run around like a crazy man.
He empties the toy box, but then figures out what he wants.
He lives for the moment.
Mostly, for everything he has been through, he just loves his life.
A beautiful bronze-colored Chihuahua mix with huge ears that stuck straight up, people came in to the shelter and awed at how cute he was, but everyone ended up walking past him in the end.
Maybe it was the fact he had been returned to the shelter twice: once by a young woman who realized a dog was too much responsibility for her, and another time by a guy who tried to grab him too roughly and got a caution bite. Maybe it was because he didn't like big dogs. Maybe because he was five years old. Regardless, it was starting to look like Elliott's home might always be the shelter.
I started taking Elliott home a couple nights a month just to get him out of the shelter. Each time he became a little more at home and from the very first moment, he would snuggle in tightly at night, staying warm under the covers.
He loved being out of the shelter - he'd sprint across the lawn, play fetch endlessly and sit in our laps every spare second; he met big dogs and he liked them, and he never stopped wagging his tail - he took it all in.
Brandon and I eventually decided to foster Elliott. At this exact moment he's at home, proudly carrying around a pink boa constrictor stuffed animal - throwing it in the air every few seconds to entertain himself while I type.
After almost a year in a shelter, he has been in our home for two weeks and you would never know that he had lost 1/5 of his life to a cage.
In the first day as our foster, he learned to sit, lay down and roll over. He greets us excitedly when we get home, he never stops playing, he empties the toy box like it is his job, and he still never stops wagging his tail.
My message isn't only that shelter dogs are the best dogs - that you can save a life and find an incredible, loyal, amazing dog ... but also that perhaps we as people, should learn a thing or two from these incredible animals.
I can't help but think that if I were under those same conditions and stresses of shelter life that Elliott faced for a year, I wouldn't have recovered so quickly. I would be resentful to the family that dropped me off at the shelter, I would feel entitled to something incredible for the pain I endured.
Not Elliott.
Elliott is like many shelter pups I've seen and holds a strength in his soul that I hope to some day gain the wisdom to have.
He is grateful for every second he has.
He loves the good people in his life.
He forgives and and forgets the bad people who were in his life.
He takes time to play, to snuggle, and to run around like a crazy man.
He empties the toy box, but then figures out what he wants.
He lives for the moment.
Mostly, for everything he has been through, he just loves his life.
October 12, 2011
What is a Puppy Mill?
You may have heard about puppy mills - or puppy farms - but many people don't really know what the term means or why it matters.
When you see a puppy in the window of the pet store or an ad online for puppies for sale, you can know with near certainty that the pup is from a puppy mill.
A puppy mill is a large-scale breeding operation, where "breeding stock" - rather dogs that are bred over and over again - are kept in cages their entire lives with little to no veterinary care, and then are killed, abandoned or sold when they are no longer fertile.
Puppy mills not only produce horrific endings for animals that are bred, but they tear puppies away from their mothers long before they should be. Purebred puppies are then sold in bulk to "brokers" and then those individuals sell the puppies (often with falsified purebred paperwork) to pet stores ... or sell them to laboratories for "research" - which I'm sure you can interpret intelligently.
In short, puppy mills are commercialized breeding and they are hiding in plain site in areas near all of us.
There are more than 6,000 commercialized breeders licensed by the USDA - our own government licenses these breeders, but they do not protect the animals or potential owners.
The USDA requires food, shelter and water ... but that doesn't translate to humane conditions. In fact, the USDA allows puppy mills - or commercial breeders - to own more than one thousand dogs, to keep all dogs in cages for years at a time, and to breed dogs as often as possible.
Even worse, there are thousands of puppy mills that are not licensed and have even more grotesque and unmentionable conditions.
Only four states (Virginia, Louisiana, Oregon, and Washington) have even limited the number of dogs that can be in commercial breeding facilities, according to the Humane Society of the United States.
Animals are not a mere commodity.
Perhaps that's a concept our government doesn't yet understand - or at least enforce, but I cannot imagine people would be so desperate for a puppy that they would knowingly purchase a puppy whose mom is sitting in a cage of her own feces with no veterinary care and who is impregnated and bred until she is useless to the breeder and then tossed aside like garbage.
Sometimes seeing the truth is the best way to truly understand it. You can search puppy mills and see thousands of pictures and videos, following is a video of a puppy mill rescue by the Humane Society of the U.S. that shows the animals being saved, but also shows the conditions of puppy mills: http://video.humanesociety.org/video/999193548001.
There is an entire glossary of lingo when it comes to puppy mills, which adeptly displays this industry - below are a few terms to give you a glimpse into commercialized breeders.
If you want to help stop puppy mills know that puppies sold online and in pet stores are almost always puppy mill dogs; increase awareness with the people you know - sign the ASPCA pledge against puppy mills, send a note to your legislators, don't shop at pet stores that sell puppies and support those that feature adoptable animals.
As long as we allow puppy mills to exist by continuing to buy puppies from pet stores and breeders, millions of animals will continue to die in shelters simply because there are not enough homes for them.
Know about puppy mills and tell people about it ... you will make a difference, and you can be the change.
Learn More:
http://www.aspca.org/puppymills
http://www.nopetstorepuppies.com/
http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/puppy_mills/
http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/puppy_mills/qa/puppy_mill_FAQs.html
When you see a puppy in the window of the pet store or an ad online for puppies for sale, you can know with near certainty that the pup is from a puppy mill.
A puppy mill is a large-scale breeding operation, where "breeding stock" - rather dogs that are bred over and over again - are kept in cages their entire lives with little to no veterinary care, and then are killed, abandoned or sold when they are no longer fertile.
Puppy mills not only produce horrific endings for animals that are bred, but they tear puppies away from their mothers long before they should be. Purebred puppies are then sold in bulk to "brokers" and then those individuals sell the puppies (often with falsified purebred paperwork) to pet stores ... or sell them to laboratories for "research" - which I'm sure you can interpret intelligently.
In short, puppy mills are commercialized breeding and they are hiding in plain site in areas near all of us.
There are more than 6,000 commercialized breeders licensed by the USDA - our own government licenses these breeders, but they do not protect the animals or potential owners.
The USDA requires food, shelter and water ... but that doesn't translate to humane conditions. In fact, the USDA allows puppy mills - or commercial breeders - to own more than one thousand dogs, to keep all dogs in cages for years at a time, and to breed dogs as often as possible.
Even worse, there are thousands of puppy mills that are not licensed and have even more grotesque and unmentionable conditions.
Only four states (Virginia, Louisiana, Oregon, and Washington) have even limited the number of dogs that can be in commercial breeding facilities, according to the Humane Society of the United States.
Animals are not a mere commodity.
Perhaps that's a concept our government doesn't yet understand - or at least enforce, but I cannot imagine people would be so desperate for a puppy that they would knowingly purchase a puppy whose mom is sitting in a cage of her own feces with no veterinary care and who is impregnated and bred until she is useless to the breeder and then tossed aside like garbage.
Sometimes seeing the truth is the best way to truly understand it. You can search puppy mills and see thousands of pictures and videos, following is a video of a puppy mill rescue by the Humane Society of the U.S. that shows the animals being saved, but also shows the conditions of puppy mills: http://video.humanesociety.org/video/999193548001.
There is an entire glossary of lingo when it comes to puppy mills, which adeptly displays this industry - below are a few terms to give you a glimpse into commercialized breeders.
- Buncher: A person who takes puppy mill rejects—dogs not up to breed standards—and/or dogs advertised as "free to a good home" and sells them to Class B dealers, who will in turn sell them to industrial research laboratories.
- Culling: The killing of puppy mill puppies who, for various reasons, are considered unacceptable (twisted leg, coat or eye color not up to breed standard, misshaped ears, etc.).
- Debarking: A controversial procedure in which a dog's vocal cords are severed so that he is unable to bark. In puppy mills, this procedure is often performed by smashing a puppy's vocal cords with a pipe.
- Source: ASPCA Puppy Mill Glossary: http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/puppy-mills/puppy-mill-glossary.aspx
If you want to help stop puppy mills know that puppies sold online and in pet stores are almost always puppy mill dogs; increase awareness with the people you know - sign the ASPCA pledge against puppy mills, send a note to your legislators, don't shop at pet stores that sell puppies and support those that feature adoptable animals.
As long as we allow puppy mills to exist by continuing to buy puppies from pet stores and breeders, millions of animals will continue to die in shelters simply because there are not enough homes for them.
Know about puppy mills and tell people about it ... you will make a difference, and you can be the change.
Learn More:
http://www.aspca.org/puppymills
http://www.nopetstorepuppies.com/
http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/puppy_mills/
http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/puppy_mills/qa/puppy_mill_FAQs.html
October 03, 2011
Life of a Shelter Pet
I wake up and it is dark. Another dog is barking because he is scared of something ... that must be what woke me.
The sun isn't up yet so there's not any light coming through the small windows in the shelter. I can't see the sun or the grass or trees through them anyway, but it is nice when the light shines through and I can imagine those things that I know are out there from when I get to go outside on a walk with a volunteer.
But, for now it is dark.
The air around me smells stale and like feces. I hate how it smells, but I can't blame the other dogs - we have all been in our cages for a really long time, so we don't have the option of going to the bathroom outside.
Sometimes a volunteer will take me on a walk and I run out and go to the bathroom in the fresh grass - well, if I'm being honest, I normally have to go so bad I just squat as soon as I get to anything that resembles grass - even if it is the dirt littered with trash outside the shelter.
I used to live in a house with a family and a yard, but one day they brought me here and said they couldn't keep me. I never understood what I did, but somehow I ended up here.
Even though I've been in a shelter for a couple months now, I still don't like going to the bathroom inside. But when you're in a cage sometimes for 24 hours a day - for a couple days at a time with a walk maybe once a day - you really don't have much choice.
There's a lot about this shelter that's hard to get used to.
Tonight is pretty normal, we all wake up when someone barks or gets scared by a noise or has a nightmare ... so now I'm just sitting on the cold concrete in the dark, trying to fall back to sleep. Sometimes in the middle of the night, in the pitch black, I can see the eyes of another dog glisten when it hits the dull moonlight - they are waiting to fall back to sleep like me.
It could be worse though. We do get a blanket here and sometimes a bed - I've heard the shelter volunteers say to each other that it's good we get that when not all dogs in shelters do.
We also get time because we somehow made it to a no-kill shelter. At normal shelters, dogs don't get more than 7-10 days to get adopted ... I know I'm a good dog and I'm still here, so I'm glad I didn't get put down after a week.
The shelter staff has to go home at 4:30 p.m., and they don't arrive in the morning until 7:30 a.m., so we're alone for a long time. In the morning, we don't get transferred into another kennel for our cages to get cleaned right away, so usually there is a stream of pee coming out of each of our kennels. It's humiliating for all of us.
Sometimes I try to remember what it was like outside of here.
There are people who take us all on walks - they sign us out on this notepad and then take us out for 15 or 20 minutes to go to the bathroom and stretch our legs a little. Sometimes they don't have time to volunteer or not enough people come to help, so we don't all get walks - some days we get lucky and get two walks.
When we do get out of our kennels, it's so nice to get some attention and get pet for a few minutes. Sometimes one of those volunteers will scratch behind my ear or even brush me once in awhile, and it makes me feel loved - like I used to feel all the time.
Now, every day I sit and wait, latched behind crisscrossed metal.
People walk through the shelter sometimes and look at all of us. It's hard to show them what a good dog I am from in here.
I know I'm one of the lucky ones, but sometimes it's hard to feel that way.
I know I'll feel lucky when someone who walks by finally calls my name and picks out a collar just for me ... maybe they'll even let me pick out my own bed ... maybe someday I'll have my very own family.
For now, I'll be here waiting.
The sun is coming up now, so maybe today will be my day.
The sun isn't up yet so there's not any light coming through the small windows in the shelter. I can't see the sun or the grass or trees through them anyway, but it is nice when the light shines through and I can imagine those things that I know are out there from when I get to go outside on a walk with a volunteer.
But, for now it is dark.
The air around me smells stale and like feces. I hate how it smells, but I can't blame the other dogs - we have all been in our cages for a really long time, so we don't have the option of going to the bathroom outside.
Sometimes a volunteer will take me on a walk and I run out and go to the bathroom in the fresh grass - well, if I'm being honest, I normally have to go so bad I just squat as soon as I get to anything that resembles grass - even if it is the dirt littered with trash outside the shelter.
I used to live in a house with a family and a yard, but one day they brought me here and said they couldn't keep me. I never understood what I did, but somehow I ended up here.
Even though I've been in a shelter for a couple months now, I still don't like going to the bathroom inside. But when you're in a cage sometimes for 24 hours a day - for a couple days at a time with a walk maybe once a day - you really don't have much choice.
There's a lot about this shelter that's hard to get used to.
Tonight is pretty normal, we all wake up when someone barks or gets scared by a noise or has a nightmare ... so now I'm just sitting on the cold concrete in the dark, trying to fall back to sleep. Sometimes in the middle of the night, in the pitch black, I can see the eyes of another dog glisten when it hits the dull moonlight - they are waiting to fall back to sleep like me.
It could be worse though. We do get a blanket here and sometimes a bed - I've heard the shelter volunteers say to each other that it's good we get that when not all dogs in shelters do.
We also get time because we somehow made it to a no-kill shelter. At normal shelters, dogs don't get more than 7-10 days to get adopted ... I know I'm a good dog and I'm still here, so I'm glad I didn't get put down after a week.
The shelter staff has to go home at 4:30 p.m., and they don't arrive in the morning until 7:30 a.m., so we're alone for a long time. In the morning, we don't get transferred into another kennel for our cages to get cleaned right away, so usually there is a stream of pee coming out of each of our kennels. It's humiliating for all of us.
Sometimes I try to remember what it was like outside of here.
There are people who take us all on walks - they sign us out on this notepad and then take us out for 15 or 20 minutes to go to the bathroom and stretch our legs a little. Sometimes they don't have time to volunteer or not enough people come to help, so we don't all get walks - some days we get lucky and get two walks.
When we do get out of our kennels, it's so nice to get some attention and get pet for a few minutes. Sometimes one of those volunteers will scratch behind my ear or even brush me once in awhile, and it makes me feel loved - like I used to feel all the time.
Now, every day I sit and wait, latched behind crisscrossed metal.
People walk through the shelter sometimes and look at all of us. It's hard to show them what a good dog I am from in here.
I know I'm one of the lucky ones, but sometimes it's hard to feel that way.
I know I'll feel lucky when someone who walks by finally calls my name and picks out a collar just for me ... maybe they'll even let me pick out my own bed ... maybe someday I'll have my very own family.
For now, I'll be here waiting.
The sun is coming up now, so maybe today will be my day.
October 02, 2011
Bellow's Story
About a month ago, I wrote about a dog whose owner relinquished her while I was at the shelter.
This adorable basset hound named Bellow, is just one of the animals I've seen surrendered while volunteering at the shelter.
Honestly, I can't remember a time I was volunteering for a couple hours when I didn't hear the shelter staff over the loud speaker say something to the effect of: "Please prepare a kennel in the big dog room for a new dog." That's what they say when there is someone in the lobby who came in with a dog and will leave without one.
So, while Bellow isn't a rare story at the shelter, she was the first dog I saw relinquished, so I've watched her from the start and seen the change a shelter environment can have on an animal.
Today when I walked into the back room of the rescue, Bellow was asleep on her bed much unlike the other times I've seen her. She didn't open her eyes when she heard me coming. She didn't give me a longing stare, silently begging me to take her on a walk. She didn't howl, pleading for me to care that she was in a cage by herself. She didn't care that I was there this time.
It occurred to me that people walk by her every day and don't stop. In fact, more than that - a lot of people don't even come to look. They try to save their hearts and they try to pretend that dogs like Bellow don't exist.
In the single month that she has been at the shelter, Bellow has become desensitized.
She now doesn't expect to be pet. She doesn't expect to be loved. She doesn't expect to even be looked at.
As a volunteer, I can devote three hours on a weekend to walking dogs and only get through walking six or seven animals. Despite the best efforts of the small staff and group of volunteers at the shelter, it's pretty frequent that all the dogs don't get walked every day - or if they do, they only get a single walk and end up spending nearly 24-7 in a small cage in a loud room.
I don't blame Bellow for giving up a little bit after being in a shelter for a month - it must be an unbearable change to go from a loving home with a soft cushy dog bed, to being confined with little human or animal (or any kind) of contact.
And despite the stressful conditions of a shelter environment, I'm constantly impressed with how quickly dogs can light up and instantly come to life with excitement that you are there to spend a couple minutes with them - walk them, pet them, brush them, give them some kind of effort.
This post is just to recognize that we shouldn't be making these dogs wait too long - we shouldn't make them lose faith in humans.
We can give them hope and we can do it now. You can make a difference in their lives - whether it is volunteering, donating money, encouraging people you know to rescue rather than buy, or if you're able, adopting a shelter pet yourself.
Whatever it is, don't wait to start making a difference.
Dogs like Bellow are literally waiting for you.
This adorable basset hound named Bellow, is just one of the animals I've seen surrendered while volunteering at the shelter.
Honestly, I can't remember a time I was volunteering for a couple hours when I didn't hear the shelter staff over the loud speaker say something to the effect of: "Please prepare a kennel in the big dog room for a new dog." That's what they say when there is someone in the lobby who came in with a dog and will leave without one.
So, while Bellow isn't a rare story at the shelter, she was the first dog I saw relinquished, so I've watched her from the start and seen the change a shelter environment can have on an animal.
Today when I walked into the back room of the rescue, Bellow was asleep on her bed much unlike the other times I've seen her. She didn't open her eyes when she heard me coming. She didn't give me a longing stare, silently begging me to take her on a walk. She didn't howl, pleading for me to care that she was in a cage by herself. She didn't care that I was there this time.
It occurred to me that people walk by her every day and don't stop. In fact, more than that - a lot of people don't even come to look. They try to save their hearts and they try to pretend that dogs like Bellow don't exist.
In the single month that she has been at the shelter, Bellow has become desensitized.
She now doesn't expect to be pet. She doesn't expect to be loved. She doesn't expect to even be looked at.
As a volunteer, I can devote three hours on a weekend to walking dogs and only get through walking six or seven animals. Despite the best efforts of the small staff and group of volunteers at the shelter, it's pretty frequent that all the dogs don't get walked every day - or if they do, they only get a single walk and end up spending nearly 24-7 in a small cage in a loud room.
I don't blame Bellow for giving up a little bit after being in a shelter for a month - it must be an unbearable change to go from a loving home with a soft cushy dog bed, to being confined with little human or animal (or any kind) of contact.
And despite the stressful conditions of a shelter environment, I'm constantly impressed with how quickly dogs can light up and instantly come to life with excitement that you are there to spend a couple minutes with them - walk them, pet them, brush them, give them some kind of effort.
This post is just to recognize that we shouldn't be making these dogs wait too long - we shouldn't make them lose faith in humans.
We can give them hope and we can do it now. You can make a difference in their lives - whether it is volunteering, donating money, encouraging people you know to rescue rather than buy, or if you're able, adopting a shelter pet yourself.
Whatever it is, don't wait to start making a difference.
Dogs like Bellow are literally waiting for you.
September 15, 2011
Why animals have to die
I will get back to some upbeat blogs next time, but this one topic continues to tug at me. When I first began to realize that advocating for animals is what I was missing in my life, I watched a video of animals being euthanized at a shelter.
I balled my eyes out and also seeing it firsthand put me at some level of morbid peace - that I knew how quickly and peacefully animals in shelters are put to sleep. Still, as I watched adorable dogs and cats - that anyone would have wanted if they were in a pet-store window - slowly slip into a forever sleep, I couldn't help but decide that I wanted to make sure that someday it all wouldn't exist.
So, why do all of these animals have to die? Chris Hoar, the founder of Pet Pardons (a Facebook community that strives to help shelter pets find homes), wrote in a recent blog, there are basically four reasons. I feel like he says it best, so I've copied his words below in the numbered segments 1-4.
1 - Breeders & Puppy Mills
Despite the massive overpopulation of pets in America the breeders and the puppy mills churn out pets 24 hours a day to make a buck, or in many cases, a lot of bucks. The way to shut down the breeders and the puppy mills is simple, just Adopt from your local Shelter or Rescue instead of buying from a pet store or breeder.
2 - Failure to Spay/Neuter
People who fail to spay/neuter their pets are another huge part of the overpopulation problem. Cats and dog, left unfixed, will breed. Unless you want 10 new cats of your own, or 8 new puppies, then get your pets fixed because if you do not then the chances are that most of those little ones will end up right here on Pet Pardons with a kill date.
3 - Owner Surrender
If you have kids you make plans for them in case something happens to you. If you have pets you must do the same thing, otherwise, again, they end up at the Shelter with a kill date. If you cannot afford to keep a pet then do not get one in the first place. A pet is a lifetime commitment not a disposable fashion accessory.
4 - People Who Buy Pets
When you buy a pet, no matter where you buy that pet from, you are supporting the breeders and the puppy mill owners. Please, never ever buy, always Adopt, I promise you that whatever pet you want there is one waiting for you in a shelter or rescue today. If you have never Adopted a pet then you have missed out on the most amazing feeling, it's that feeling of saving a life. Ask anyone who has done it, they will tell you the same, that pet will repay you with a lifetime of love and affection.
I see pet overpopulation as any issue, it must all begin with each of us.
If we each understand the issue and encourage other people to adopt and politely explain the importance of adoption (and never, ever buying an animal), we will make a difference.
One by one we will rescue animals from shelters.
One by one we will discourage breeders.
One by one we will change people's perceptions.
One by one we will change the world.
I balled my eyes out and also seeing it firsthand put me at some level of morbid peace - that I knew how quickly and peacefully animals in shelters are put to sleep. Still, as I watched adorable dogs and cats - that anyone would have wanted if they were in a pet-store window - slowly slip into a forever sleep, I couldn't help but decide that I wanted to make sure that someday it all wouldn't exist.
So, why do all of these animals have to die? Chris Hoar, the founder of Pet Pardons (a Facebook community that strives to help shelter pets find homes), wrote in a recent blog, there are basically four reasons. I feel like he says it best, so I've copied his words below in the numbered segments 1-4.
1 - Breeders & Puppy Mills
Despite the massive overpopulation of pets in America the breeders and the puppy mills churn out pets 24 hours a day to make a buck, or in many cases, a lot of bucks. The way to shut down the breeders and the puppy mills is simple, just Adopt from your local Shelter or Rescue instead of buying from a pet store or breeder.
2 - Failure to Spay/Neuter
People who fail to spay/neuter their pets are another huge part of the overpopulation problem. Cats and dog, left unfixed, will breed. Unless you want 10 new cats of your own, or 8 new puppies, then get your pets fixed because if you do not then the chances are that most of those little ones will end up right here on Pet Pardons with a kill date.
3 - Owner Surrender
If you have kids you make plans for them in case something happens to you. If you have pets you must do the same thing, otherwise, again, they end up at the Shelter with a kill date. If you cannot afford to keep a pet then do not get one in the first place. A pet is a lifetime commitment not a disposable fashion accessory.
4 - People Who Buy Pets
When you buy a pet, no matter where you buy that pet from, you are supporting the breeders and the puppy mill owners. Please, never ever buy, always Adopt, I promise you that whatever pet you want there is one waiting for you in a shelter or rescue today. If you have never Adopted a pet then you have missed out on the most amazing feeling, it's that feeling of saving a life. Ask anyone who has done it, they will tell you the same, that pet will repay you with a lifetime of love and affection.
I see pet overpopulation as any issue, it must all begin with each of us.
If we each understand the issue and encourage other people to adopt and politely explain the importance of adoption (and never, ever buying an animal), we will make a difference.
One by one we will rescue animals from shelters.
One by one we will discourage breeders.
One by one we will change people's perceptions.
One by one we will change the world.
September 02, 2011
Why Adopt?
It's easy to get sucked into the Internet sites of breeder's cute puppies and get pulled to the window of a pet store at the mall ... while the cages at your local animal shelter may not seem as tempting - here are three reasons you should adopt, and never shop!
1. When you buy from a breeder, you encourage that breeder to breed and contribute to animal overpopulation.
2. When you buy from a pet shop, you are buying a puppy mill dog. Read about puppy mills for one second and you'll see why that's bad. I'll write a blog on that topic later - just know they are evil places.
3. There are incredible animals already out there - ready for adoption and counting on you to save their lives! If you want a puppy, there are plenty for adoption already, too!
Every time I go to the shelter, I see adorable, adoptable animals sitting in cages. I'm lucky in a way because I volunteer at a no-kill rescue, but I know there are plenty of places where I could leave knowing a dog wouldn't be there the next day. I often think how things could change - how dogs wouldn't have to die and how we could stop the trend of having more dogs than there are possibly homes for.
On this topic, I'm beyond sugar-coating it.
It's up to each one of us, and is directly connected to the decisions made by EACH person looking for a new pet.
I have purchased a dog from a breeder and it was honestly because I didn't fully understand the negative impact it had, so I hope I'm not offending too many people with my next statement, but please know that I'm saying this so more people will realize why adopting is important.
When you buy a dog from a breeder - you are killing a dog - not just the deserving one you could have adopted from a shelter, but another dog who could have had that dog's place when they were adopted. You're also giving that breeder reason to breed again and continue to contribute animals to a society that is already way over-saturated with adoptable animals.
In fact, the United States (one country, mind you), has so many animals in shelters, that is kills 3-4 million animals a year because no one wants them. Maybe not every animal could be saved by people choosing to adopt rather than buy an animal, but it would make a huge impact.
A common misperception is that shelter pets are just mutts that have behavior problems, but 25% of animals in shelters are purebreds and a lot of them have just had the misfortune of having people dump them or drop them - fortunately for us, animals are forgiving and rebound quickly. Most of them are just happy to be with you and are eager to get a new beginning in your life.
Another huge advantage to a shelter pet (if you need more than saving a life, which will make you feel pretty good at the end of the day), is that unlike animals #3 you would pick from a random breeder's litter, you will know the animal's temperament. You will know if your future family member is good with other dogs, cats, if they like kids or not ... you won't have surprises like you will with a puppy that you pick out when they are 3 weeks old.
Plus, there are millions of dogs in shelters (and thanks to technology, you can search nationwide), so there is no doubt you can hand-pick your dog if you want to - right down to the breed, temperament, height, etc.
Maybe it's just because it is 1 a.m. and I've become delirious, but I can't think of a single reason not to adopt a shelter pet and encourage everyone you know to do the same.
Even you don't buy my argument that adopting makes a huge difference, consider this: "You may not change the world by helping one animal, but to that one animal you will certainly change their world."
1. When you buy from a breeder, you encourage that breeder to breed and contribute to animal overpopulation.
2. When you buy from a pet shop, you are buying a puppy mill dog. Read about puppy mills for one second and you'll see why that's bad. I'll write a blog on that topic later - just know they are evil places.
3. There are incredible animals already out there - ready for adoption and counting on you to save their lives! If you want a puppy, there are plenty for adoption already, too!
Every time I go to the shelter, I see adorable, adoptable animals sitting in cages. I'm lucky in a way because I volunteer at a no-kill rescue, but I know there are plenty of places where I could leave knowing a dog wouldn't be there the next day. I often think how things could change - how dogs wouldn't have to die and how we could stop the trend of having more dogs than there are possibly homes for.
On this topic, I'm beyond sugar-coating it.
It's up to each one of us, and is directly connected to the decisions made by EACH person looking for a new pet.
I have purchased a dog from a breeder and it was honestly because I didn't fully understand the negative impact it had, so I hope I'm not offending too many people with my next statement, but please know that I'm saying this so more people will realize why adopting is important.
When you buy a dog from a breeder - you are killing a dog - not just the deserving one you could have adopted from a shelter, but another dog who could have had that dog's place when they were adopted. You're also giving that breeder reason to breed again and continue to contribute animals to a society that is already way over-saturated with adoptable animals.
In fact, the United States (one country, mind you), has so many animals in shelters, that is kills 3-4 million animals a year because no one wants them. Maybe not every animal could be saved by people choosing to adopt rather than buy an animal, but it would make a huge impact.
A common misperception is that shelter pets are just mutts that have behavior problems, but 25% of animals in shelters are purebreds and a lot of them have just had the misfortune of having people dump them or drop them - fortunately for us, animals are forgiving and rebound quickly. Most of them are just happy to be with you and are eager to get a new beginning in your life.
Another huge advantage to a shelter pet (if you need more than saving a life, which will make you feel pretty good at the end of the day), is that unlike animals #3 you would pick from a random breeder's litter, you will know the animal's temperament. You will know if your future family member is good with other dogs, cats, if they like kids or not ... you won't have surprises like you will with a puppy that you pick out when they are 3 weeks old.
Plus, there are millions of dogs in shelters (and thanks to technology, you can search nationwide), so there is no doubt you can hand-pick your dog if you want to - right down to the breed, temperament, height, etc.
Maybe it's just because it is 1 a.m. and I've become delirious, but I can't think of a single reason not to adopt a shelter pet and encourage everyone you know to do the same.
Even you don't buy my argument that adopting makes a huge difference, consider this: "You may not change the world by helping one animal, but to that one animal you will certainly change their world."
August 22, 2011
Giving Up the Family Pet
Today I saw a woman give up her dog.
At first I didn't know what was happening, as she sat at a small table at the MaxFund with another volunteer. I was bringing a dog back from a walk and noticed that she was crying and holding the leash of a beautiful basset hound. It wasn't quite what I expected it would all look like, but it was fairly quick and after about 10 minutes she was turning over the leash of the family dog, Bellow.
I was brushing one of the shelter dogs in an empty room when Bellow came in. She walked around for a couple minutes smelling the few items in the room, all the while a shelter volunteer was bringing in the dog's plush bed, a new crate and a few other items from Bellow's now past home.
After a couple minutes there was nothing left to smell, and Bellow realized she was alone in a room with no one she knew. She looked confused and maybe a little sad, but I thought to myself that it was nice she had a little time before she went to her cage in the back ... the one that would be her new home until she got adopted.
Shelters receive about half of the 5 to 7 million companion animals in their shelters from pets relinquished by their owners, with the other half being animals picked up by animal control or brought in by Good Samaritans. Once in a shelter, about 60 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats are euthanized each year, according to the ASPCA (http://www.aspca.org/about-us/faq/pet-statistics.aspx).
I'm not writing this blog to judge, and I can't pretend that I understand or that I know all of the circumstances, as I'm sure sometimes people feel like they don't have a choice in relinquishing their animal. The National Humane Education Society reports a variety of reasons for people giving up their family pet, ranging from moving to cost of the animal, to not having time for the pet to the animal having an illness.
Still, with the statistics the way they are, it seems like giving up your animal, in many cases, is almost like signing their death certificate - like asking someone to put them down, so you don't have to.
I've seen the sad eyes of too many caged animals that had homes and no longer do, to have much sympathy for their humans.
Although there are no doubt cases where people honestly can no longer care for their animals - where the pet's chances at a shelter are better than their life at home - it is hard to imagine that number being around 2.5 to 3.5 million a year. On the contrary, I'm guessing a lot of the relinquishments just made the person's life a little easier.
So while my opinion of relinquishment is likely not much of a secret at this point, I think there is a bigger idea at play here. As a society, we need to value animals, we need to take pet ownership as a permanent, lifelong commitment, rather than only keep an animal when it is cute and cuddly and causes us no difficulty.
Think of your animal as your child, because that is what they are - they need you, they love you for who you are, they need love and affection and they need you to be their parent forever. A pet isn't a commitment for a couple years - it is a commitment for a lifetime - and with half of all dogs and cats in shelters being given up, just imagine what a dent we could make in the lives of animals if families didn't see their pets as disposable.
I think how many more animals could be saved if I could fill half the cages at MaxFund - a no-kill shelter, with dogs and cats that truly needed homes - not animals that someone figured life would be more convenient without.
People may think it's just one animal they are giving up, but honestly when someone gets rid of their family pet, they are not only taking a chance that their animal may be put down, but that another may not get a place in the shelter. Our consumerist society, our instant gratification ... our selfishness is literally killing animals.
Maybe someday when people think they want a cute puppy, they will buy a stuffed dog rather than the real thing. That way when they get tired of it and give it up, the stuffed animal can just go in a storage box in the garage, rather than the real dog having to go to the nearest shelter and wait to see if it gets to live another day.
At first I didn't know what was happening, as she sat at a small table at the MaxFund with another volunteer. I was bringing a dog back from a walk and noticed that she was crying and holding the leash of a beautiful basset hound. It wasn't quite what I expected it would all look like, but it was fairly quick and after about 10 minutes she was turning over the leash of the family dog, Bellow.
I was brushing one of the shelter dogs in an empty room when Bellow came in. She walked around for a couple minutes smelling the few items in the room, all the while a shelter volunteer was bringing in the dog's plush bed, a new crate and a few other items from Bellow's now past home.
After a couple minutes there was nothing left to smell, and Bellow realized she was alone in a room with no one she knew. She looked confused and maybe a little sad, but I thought to myself that it was nice she had a little time before she went to her cage in the back ... the one that would be her new home until she got adopted.
Shelters receive about half of the 5 to 7 million companion animals in their shelters from pets relinquished by their owners, with the other half being animals picked up by animal control or brought in by Good Samaritans. Once in a shelter, about 60 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats are euthanized each year, according to the ASPCA (http://www.aspca.org/about-us/faq/pet-statistics.aspx).
I'm not writing this blog to judge, and I can't pretend that I understand or that I know all of the circumstances, as I'm sure sometimes people feel like they don't have a choice in relinquishing their animal. The National Humane Education Society reports a variety of reasons for people giving up their family pet, ranging from moving to cost of the animal, to not having time for the pet to the animal having an illness.
Still, with the statistics the way they are, it seems like giving up your animal, in many cases, is almost like signing their death certificate - like asking someone to put them down, so you don't have to.
I've seen the sad eyes of too many caged animals that had homes and no longer do, to have much sympathy for their humans.
Although there are no doubt cases where people honestly can no longer care for their animals - where the pet's chances at a shelter are better than their life at home - it is hard to imagine that number being around 2.5 to 3.5 million a year. On the contrary, I'm guessing a lot of the relinquishments just made the person's life a little easier.
So while my opinion of relinquishment is likely not much of a secret at this point, I think there is a bigger idea at play here. As a society, we need to value animals, we need to take pet ownership as a permanent, lifelong commitment, rather than only keep an animal when it is cute and cuddly and causes us no difficulty.
Think of your animal as your child, because that is what they are - they need you, they love you for who you are, they need love and affection and they need you to be their parent forever. A pet isn't a commitment for a couple years - it is a commitment for a lifetime - and with half of all dogs and cats in shelters being given up, just imagine what a dent we could make in the lives of animals if families didn't see their pets as disposable.
I think how many more animals could be saved if I could fill half the cages at MaxFund - a no-kill shelter, with dogs and cats that truly needed homes - not animals that someone figured life would be more convenient without.
People may think it's just one animal they are giving up, but honestly when someone gets rid of their family pet, they are not only taking a chance that their animal may be put down, but that another may not get a place in the shelter. Our consumerist society, our instant gratification ... our selfishness is literally killing animals.
Maybe someday when people think they want a cute puppy, they will buy a stuffed dog rather than the real thing. That way when they get tired of it and give it up, the stuffed animal can just go in a storage box in the garage, rather than the real dog having to go to the nearest shelter and wait to see if it gets to live another day.
August 15, 2011
Keeping Pets with their Families
About a week ago, I received the following email:
"We are in desperate need of some dog food for our much loved pets. We have 3 dogs, 1 miniature schnauzer, 1 border collie mix, and 1 white Pyrenees. The 2 big dogs weigh around 75 pounds and eat about 15 pounds of dry dog food a week. The little dog needs to eat 1 canned food per day. She has an esophageal disease that causes her to vomit if she eats dry food. We are in extreme financial woes right now. My daughter just got a job, but does not get paid for another 3 1/2 weeks. Any help would greatly be appreciated until that time. We love our dogs so much and would absolutely dread having to give them up. Please help us!!"
As a volunteer for the Furry Friends Food Drive, a group of us got the email, and when I followed up, I learned that the woman had sent the email to five different organizations and had not heard from anyone - she was desperate and called me immediately, telling me that she was on the last day that she had food for her dogs, and didn't know what to do.
I told her that we would take care of it and she would have food to give her dogs the next day. My awesome boyfriend (props babe) went to Sam's Club and purchased $70 worth of dog food, enough to keep the dogs well-fed for at least two months. The next day my pups Tonka and Bow joined me in delivering the food.
As I heard the family's dogs barking inside the home, the daughter helped me bring the bags of food into the garage - saying "thank you" nearly a dozen times during the three minutes I was at their house.
I told her that through volunteering at the shelter, I have seen a lot of dogs that were in wonderful homes and had to be relinquished because the family couldn't afford to keep them - I told her I really admired their family for caring enough about their pets to ask for help. She told me that she couldn't imagine her life without her "guys."
They were just an everyday family - they could have been anyone's neighbor ... it just goes to show the importance of asking for help and the importance of answering the call for help - it can make all the difference.
There are tens of thousands of families facing these kind of tough decisions, and a little assistance can go such a long way in helping them keep their animals at home. The Furry Friends Food Drive is in its third year and works with the Food Bank of the Rockies to collect pet food to help people keep their animals - you can find out more here: www.furryfriendsfooddrive.org.
Helping families feed their pets keeps animals out of shelters, not only keeping them with their loving families, but also giving other pets in shelters a second chance. It's an issue that I didn't think much about before, but something that can make a direct difference in the lives of so many.
Two days after the pups and I delivered the dog food, I received the following note:
"We all appreciate you sooo much!!! You have helped keep our happy little family together. Our dogs mean the world to us and we love them dearly, as much as we know that they love us too. Through your generosity, we are able to keep them and care for them; you have helped make that possible. During a rough time for us, you have been that ray of hope. You will always hold a special place in our hearts and words cannot express our gratitude towards you. Thank you!! You are an amazing and beautiful person."
And that's more than I needed.
"We are in desperate need of some dog food for our much loved pets. We have 3 dogs, 1 miniature schnauzer, 1 border collie mix, and 1 white Pyrenees. The 2 big dogs weigh around 75 pounds and eat about 15 pounds of dry dog food a week. The little dog needs to eat 1 canned food per day. She has an esophageal disease that causes her to vomit if she eats dry food. We are in extreme financial woes right now. My daughter just got a job, but does not get paid for another 3 1/2 weeks. Any help would greatly be appreciated until that time. We love our dogs so much and would absolutely dread having to give them up. Please help us!!"
As a volunteer for the Furry Friends Food Drive, a group of us got the email, and when I followed up, I learned that the woman had sent the email to five different organizations and had not heard from anyone - she was desperate and called me immediately, telling me that she was on the last day that she had food for her dogs, and didn't know what to do.
I told her that we would take care of it and she would have food to give her dogs the next day. My awesome boyfriend (props babe) went to Sam's Club and purchased $70 worth of dog food, enough to keep the dogs well-fed for at least two months. The next day my pups Tonka and Bow joined me in delivering the food.
As I heard the family's dogs barking inside the home, the daughter helped me bring the bags of food into the garage - saying "thank you" nearly a dozen times during the three minutes I was at their house.
I told her that through volunteering at the shelter, I have seen a lot of dogs that were in wonderful homes and had to be relinquished because the family couldn't afford to keep them - I told her I really admired their family for caring enough about their pets to ask for help. She told me that she couldn't imagine her life without her "guys."
They were just an everyday family - they could have been anyone's neighbor ... it just goes to show the importance of asking for help and the importance of answering the call for help - it can make all the difference.
There are tens of thousands of families facing these kind of tough decisions, and a little assistance can go such a long way in helping them keep their animals at home. The Furry Friends Food Drive is in its third year and works with the Food Bank of the Rockies to collect pet food to help people keep their animals - you can find out more here: www.furryfriendsfooddrive.org.
Helping families feed their pets keeps animals out of shelters, not only keeping them with their loving families, but also giving other pets in shelters a second chance. It's an issue that I didn't think much about before, but something that can make a direct difference in the lives of so many.
Two days after the pups and I delivered the dog food, I received the following note:
"We all appreciate you sooo much!!! You have helped keep our happy little family together. Our dogs mean the world to us and we love them dearly, as much as we know that they love us too. Through your generosity, we are able to keep them and care for them; you have helped make that possible. During a rough time for us, you have been that ray of hope. You will always hold a special place in our hearts and words cannot express our gratitude towards you. Thank you!! You are an amazing and beautiful person."
And that's more than I needed.
August 06, 2011
Running for Rescues
Animals are something I think a lot about when I'm running. Now that I'm training for the NYC Marathon, I'm doing a lot of running, so it's easy to see that I gave the idea of "what I could do to help animals" quite a bit of thought.
After I started doing research and began volunteering with rescued dogs, I felt empowered and enlightened. Soon, however, that feeling was replaced by being discouraged and overwhelmed by all of the bad things happening that I had no control over.
None of the animals I met deserved anything but a loving home, and I was reminded constantly of the mistreatment of animals and the terrible things that human beings are capable of. But, we are also capable of amazing, good things - and that side is what really gives me hope that society as a whole can make a change.
One day it came to me, my running didn't have to just be a place where I could process my thoughts about animals - it was something that could make a difference for animals. I drafted an email to my friends and family and "Running for Rescues" was born.
I decided that by running, I could encourage people to donate a certain amount per mile run to animal shelters or rescues of their choice. After one month, the program is already up to $1,300 pledged - thanks to the incredible support of my family, friends and coworkers.
Now, when I run, it gives me something to run for, and it gave me a way to combine my passion for running and my passion for animals and to help call people to action.
In NYC this November, I plan to create a shirt for Running for Rescues, so it might be noticed by a fellow runner or one of the millions of spectators. In all honesty, I don't really know if my efforts will change anyone's mind about the importance of adopting animals from a shelter.
But if a couple people start to think about the issue and start to see things in a different way, I will feel like I've already won ... even before I cross the finish line.
After I started doing research and began volunteering with rescued dogs, I felt empowered and enlightened. Soon, however, that feeling was replaced by being discouraged and overwhelmed by all of the bad things happening that I had no control over.
None of the animals I met deserved anything but a loving home, and I was reminded constantly of the mistreatment of animals and the terrible things that human beings are capable of. But, we are also capable of amazing, good things - and that side is what really gives me hope that society as a whole can make a change.
One day it came to me, my running didn't have to just be a place where I could process my thoughts about animals - it was something that could make a difference for animals. I drafted an email to my friends and family and "Running for Rescues" was born.
I decided that by running, I could encourage people to donate a certain amount per mile run to animal shelters or rescues of their choice. After one month, the program is already up to $1,300 pledged - thanks to the incredible support of my family, friends and coworkers.
Now, when I run, it gives me something to run for, and it gave me a way to combine my passion for running and my passion for animals and to help call people to action.
In NYC this November, I plan to create a shirt for Running for Rescues, so it might be noticed by a fellow runner or one of the millions of spectators. In all honesty, I don't really know if my efforts will change anyone's mind about the importance of adopting animals from a shelter.
But if a couple people start to think about the issue and start to see things in a different way, I will feel like I've already won ... even before I cross the finish line.
July 13, 2011
Opening Eyes to Animal Cruelty
I started this blog last night and honestly didn't know what I was getting myself into.
I began researching animal cruelty and found a list of animal cruelty "glossary" on the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) website. Even as someone who feels fairly aware of animal issues, there were still types of abuse I wasn't familiar with - terms that represent shocking and awful actions toward animals.
The whole concept was too overwhelming and I couldn't wrap my head around it all enough to write a blog, so I gave myself a day to think about it all.
I read the headlines from the last couple weeks: "Kitten trapped in tied grocery bag, abandoned" ... "Groundhog staked to railroad tracks" ... "Police dogs die in hot car" ... "6-month-old dog repeatedly slashed in the face" ... "13 horses seized, 2 found with testicles tied to tails." (http://www.pet-abuse.com/).
There are so many kinds of animal abuse vividly present in our country: neglect, hoarding, mutilation, abandonment, throwing, stabbing, beating.
It's sickening, but just as troubling is the fact that our country doesn't take it very seriously.
Idaho, Mississippi, North Dakota and South Dakota still do not recognize animal cruelty as a felony, but even in states that do, the punishment rarely fits the crime.
Two men tethered, starved, and severely neglected 26 pit bulls in Georgia. The men used the dogs for breeding and for fighting one another to the death. The owner and caretaker were sentenced to five years and one year in prison, respectively, with probation.
I originally read this case in the Spring 2011 edition of ASPCA Action. This story was under "successes," and in a lot of ways because the individuals were actually convicted, I suppose it is a success. Still, the sentences seem like nothing for that type of treatment.
The fact that animal cruelty is not treated like a true crime, is not only a hard thing for animal lovers to swallow ... it's flat out stupid.
Common sense would tell anyone that a person who would hurt an animal would also hurt a human - it's a way of having control, of making something powerless.
A New Jersey study found that 88 percent of families where there was violence against children, there was also violence against animals (http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/domestic-violence-and-animal-cruelty.aspx).
I didn't find a single study that diminished the connection between animal cruelty and other crimes.
One study found that animal abusers are five times more likely to commit violent crimes against people (SPCA and Norheastern University, 1997), and as far back as the 1970s, the FBI made the connection that most serial killers had killed or tortured animals as children.
These individuals need serious counseling, they need to be charged with these crimes, and they need aggressive repercussions. As a society, we need to make it clear that animal abuse is not acceptable.
I could continue on this topic - and it may at some point merit another blog posting - but what I truly want people to know is that whether you chose to open your eyes to it or not, animal cruelty is all over our country. It is happening every day.
And nothing will stop until we open our eyes and stand up against it.
I began researching animal cruelty and found a list of animal cruelty "glossary" on the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) website. Even as someone who feels fairly aware of animal issues, there were still types of abuse I wasn't familiar with - terms that represent shocking and awful actions toward animals.
The whole concept was too overwhelming and I couldn't wrap my head around it all enough to write a blog, so I gave myself a day to think about it all.
I read the headlines from the last couple weeks: "Kitten trapped in tied grocery bag, abandoned" ... "Groundhog staked to railroad tracks" ... "Police dogs die in hot car" ... "6-month-old dog repeatedly slashed in the face" ... "13 horses seized, 2 found with testicles tied to tails." (http://www.pet-abuse.com/).
There are so many kinds of animal abuse vividly present in our country: neglect, hoarding, mutilation, abandonment, throwing, stabbing, beating.
It's sickening, but just as troubling is the fact that our country doesn't take it very seriously.
Idaho, Mississippi, North Dakota and South Dakota still do not recognize animal cruelty as a felony, but even in states that do, the punishment rarely fits the crime.
Two men tethered, starved, and severely neglected 26 pit bulls in Georgia. The men used the dogs for breeding and for fighting one another to the death. The owner and caretaker were sentenced to five years and one year in prison, respectively, with probation.
I originally read this case in the Spring 2011 edition of ASPCA Action. This story was under "successes," and in a lot of ways because the individuals were actually convicted, I suppose it is a success. Still, the sentences seem like nothing for that type of treatment.
The fact that animal cruelty is not treated like a true crime, is not only a hard thing for animal lovers to swallow ... it's flat out stupid.
Common sense would tell anyone that a person who would hurt an animal would also hurt a human - it's a way of having control, of making something powerless.
A New Jersey study found that 88 percent of families where there was violence against children, there was also violence against animals (http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/domestic-violence-and-animal-cruelty.aspx).
I didn't find a single study that diminished the connection between animal cruelty and other crimes.
One study found that animal abusers are five times more likely to commit violent crimes against people (SPCA and Norheastern University, 1997), and as far back as the 1970s, the FBI made the connection that most serial killers had killed or tortured animals as children.
These individuals need serious counseling, they need to be charged with these crimes, and they need aggressive repercussions. As a society, we need to make it clear that animal abuse is not acceptable.
I could continue on this topic - and it may at some point merit another blog posting - but what I truly want people to know is that whether you chose to open your eyes to it or not, animal cruelty is all over our country. It is happening every day.
And nothing will stop until we open our eyes and stand up against it.
July 11, 2011
Fostering: Not as Hard as it Seems!
Before I fostered for the first time, my biggest concern was how I would possibly be able to let a dog go after bonding with it so much. The idea alone kept me from fostering for years.
Then, one day I decided to do it - not because I planned to, but because it just happened.
The puppy rescue I was volunteering for had a puppy that needed a home for the week until the next adoption and my boyfriend, our pugs, kitty and I offered up our home. He came in as puppy #400-something and was soon Kona to us. When it came time to take him to the adoption event, we cried a lot - in a short week he had become part of our family.
I volunteered at the event and the first woman to come through the gates asked for Kona - she held him and I told her about the sweetheart we'd grown to love. She told me when she'd seen him on the website she knew he was the one and cuddled him in her arms - at that moment, I seemed to know that she was the right home for Kona, too.
Seeing Kona go to his forever home was one of the best feelings I've had to this day. And to know that we had a part in helping him get there felt even better.
We've fostered three dogs since then and will continue to do it as much as we can. There are so many benefits to fostering an animal, and it truly gives them a second chance at life.
Fostering allows animals to get out of the shelter environment and into a home, where they can be socialized and, in turn, makes them more adoptable because the animal's behavior is more attune to how potential adopters want them to be in their own home. It's also great for your animals because it exposes them to something new, gives them a new buddy to play with, and can keep them young (or calm them down) depending on the other animal.
The biggest benefit: fostering truly saves animals.
Shelters are overburdened and overflowing - when a dog is fostered, it frees up a cage and allows the shelter to save another animal from the streets, from abuse, or from euthanasia. Shelters and rescues need your help, it's never too late, too early, too often, or too infrequent to foster - anything you can offer will make a difference.
Plus, it's truly not as hard as it seems. Yes, you'll grow to love the animal you foster - I almost guarantee it - but when you play a role in helping that animal find their forever family, it will be entirely worth it.
Then, one day I decided to do it - not because I planned to, but because it just happened.
The puppy rescue I was volunteering for had a puppy that needed a home for the week until the next adoption and my boyfriend, our pugs, kitty and I offered up our home. He came in as puppy #400-something and was soon Kona to us. When it came time to take him to the adoption event, we cried a lot - in a short week he had become part of our family.
I volunteered at the event and the first woman to come through the gates asked for Kona - she held him and I told her about the sweetheart we'd grown to love. She told me when she'd seen him on the website she knew he was the one and cuddled him in her arms - at that moment, I seemed to know that she was the right home for Kona, too.
Seeing Kona go to his forever home was one of the best feelings I've had to this day. And to know that we had a part in helping him get there felt even better.
We've fostered three dogs since then and will continue to do it as much as we can. There are so many benefits to fostering an animal, and it truly gives them a second chance at life.
Fostering allows animals to get out of the shelter environment and into a home, where they can be socialized and, in turn, makes them more adoptable because the animal's behavior is more attune to how potential adopters want them to be in their own home. It's also great for your animals because it exposes them to something new, gives them a new buddy to play with, and can keep them young (or calm them down) depending on the other animal.
The biggest benefit: fostering truly saves animals.
Shelters are overburdened and overflowing - when a dog is fostered, it frees up a cage and allows the shelter to save another animal from the streets, from abuse, or from euthanasia. Shelters and rescues need your help, it's never too late, too early, too often, or too infrequent to foster - anything you can offer will make a difference.
Plus, it's truly not as hard as it seems. Yes, you'll grow to love the animal you foster - I almost guarantee it - but when you play a role in helping that animal find their forever family, it will be entirely worth it.
June 29, 2011
Puppies & Purebreds
Dogs for sale. A phrase that kills millions of dogs in the United States every year.
It's not that people mean to kill animals, but with every purchased dog, is another one who is put to sleep for the lack of room in shelters and the lack of love available in the world.
This blog will be a quick one, as it's a simple concept.
People can still have their purebred dogs and their cute little puppies, they should just look in a different place for them. Most people look for the Internet ad that says "Puppies for sale" or the AKC posting for a notable breeder, but even if breeders are following all of the rules, they are still not doing the right thing by having animals reproduce at a time when the nation euthanizes millions of animals, and there are still millions of unwanted animals caged in shelters.
Puppies and purebreds aren't bad, they can just already be found at shelters, so don't buy a purebred or a puppy - do your research, look for a breed rescue, a puppy rescue, just rescue the newest member of your family and save a life, rather than buy one.
The Humane Society of the United States reports that 25% of dogs in shelters are purebred, which amounts to almost 2 million purebreds in shelters each year (and about 1 million that die in shelters annually).
When you work with a breeder, you're waiting for your little one to be born when there is another little one (equally as purebred and cute) already sitting in a cage wishing for its forever family. Think about saving that one instead.
If there comes a time when there are no puppies or purebreds dying in shelters across America, maybe breeders will have a place. Until that day, have your dog and save one, too ... adopt, don't buy.
It's not that people mean to kill animals, but with every purchased dog, is another one who is put to sleep for the lack of room in shelters and the lack of love available in the world.
This blog will be a quick one, as it's a simple concept.
People can still have their purebred dogs and their cute little puppies, they should just look in a different place for them. Most people look for the Internet ad that says "Puppies for sale" or the AKC posting for a notable breeder, but even if breeders are following all of the rules, they are still not doing the right thing by having animals reproduce at a time when the nation euthanizes millions of animals, and there are still millions of unwanted animals caged in shelters.
Puppies and purebreds aren't bad, they can just already be found at shelters, so don't buy a purebred or a puppy - do your research, look for a breed rescue, a puppy rescue, just rescue the newest member of your family and save a life, rather than buy one.
The Humane Society of the United States reports that 25% of dogs in shelters are purebred, which amounts to almost 2 million purebreds in shelters each year (and about 1 million that die in shelters annually).
When you work with a breeder, you're waiting for your little one to be born when there is another little one (equally as purebred and cute) already sitting in a cage wishing for its forever family. Think about saving that one instead.
If there comes a time when there are no puppies or purebreds dying in shelters across America, maybe breeders will have a place. Until that day, have your dog and save one, too ... adopt, don't buy.
June 20, 2011
Give Wildlife a Break
On Sunday, Brandon and I drove down to the Outlets at Castlerock. On our way we saw a beautiful deer on an embankment on the side of the road - my awe of this incredible creature soon turned to pure terror as I realized that cars were screaming by her at 70+ mph. I watched speechless out my side rear mirror as she nearly bolted into traffic and then quickly darted back. Safe for now, but I suddenly became so angry - so conflicted - about being part of this human race.
My drive to the Nike Outlet was just as consumer-oriented as the next person, and I rely on our highways as much as anyone else, but I realized at that moment the sheer impact of humans on the world around us.
I read an article a couple weeks ago about relocating prairie dogs to make mass transit to the Denver International Airport. On the article comments people posted that they would like to use the prairie dogs for shooting practice and similar ignorant ideas. As humans, we have become arrogant that our way of life should supersede all else, and we should take a step back to think about that.
Each year in the United States, there are about 253,000 vehicle-animal collisions and another 1 million vertebrates are run over every day in our country, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration.
While it's impractical to think that we should all hang up our keys and park our cars for good, it's important for us to realize that we are also not alone in this world and that we need to do everything we can to be more aware of our surroundings. I have to take my hat off to some of the work being done by the USDOT Federal Highway Administration, as they have made an effort to make more signage noting wildlife populated areas, as well as pulled together a report on Linking Habitats and Reducing Roadkill (http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/wildlifecrossings/main.htm). The report outlines how some communities have been able to add tunnels, underpasses and culverts to allow animals to naturally migrate and avoid highways.
Reducing the amount of animal-vehicle collisions will save millions of animals annually and hundreds of humans who also die in these accidents. Like everything else, knowledge is power, so encourage people to support these types of programs, so we can keep our roadways safer for all.
When we drove back by the area where the deer had been gracefully running just an hour earlier, she laid there on the side of the road. A car stopped behind her, her body lifeless. I cried for her - I was angry for her.
I decided to use her as a way to teach others that roadkill may be part of our society, but it doesn't have to continue. There are ways we can end this, just like every other challenge we face.
My drive to the Nike Outlet was just as consumer-oriented as the next person, and I rely on our highways as much as anyone else, but I realized at that moment the sheer impact of humans on the world around us.
I read an article a couple weeks ago about relocating prairie dogs to make mass transit to the Denver International Airport. On the article comments people posted that they would like to use the prairie dogs for shooting practice and similar ignorant ideas. As humans, we have become arrogant that our way of life should supersede all else, and we should take a step back to think about that.
Each year in the United States, there are about 253,000 vehicle-animal collisions and another 1 million vertebrates are run over every day in our country, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration.
While it's impractical to think that we should all hang up our keys and park our cars for good, it's important for us to realize that we are also not alone in this world and that we need to do everything we can to be more aware of our surroundings. I have to take my hat off to some of the work being done by the USDOT Federal Highway Administration, as they have made an effort to make more signage noting wildlife populated areas, as well as pulled together a report on Linking Habitats and Reducing Roadkill (http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/wildlifecrossings/main.htm). The report outlines how some communities have been able to add tunnels, underpasses and culverts to allow animals to naturally migrate and avoid highways.
Reducing the amount of animal-vehicle collisions will save millions of animals annually and hundreds of humans who also die in these accidents. Like everything else, knowledge is power, so encourage people to support these types of programs, so we can keep our roadways safer for all.
When we drove back by the area where the deer had been gracefully running just an hour earlier, she laid there on the side of the road. A car stopped behind her, her body lifeless. I cried for her - I was angry for her.
I decided to use her as a way to teach others that roadkill may be part of our society, but it doesn't have to continue. There are ways we can end this, just like every other challenge we face.
June 18, 2011
Be Part of the Solution
Solving pet overpopulation is surprisingly simple, but the complexity is in getting people to understand the need and to take action.
So, let's start with the easy part first.
To create a society that would never have to put a pet down, we would need to:
1. Spay and neuter all dogs and cats
2. Always adopt pets from rescues and shelters
3. Never buy from a breeder or a pet store (aka. puppy mill)
4. Shut down puppy mills
Four simple steps really and honestly, they are a little repetitive ... we really just need to always adopt, never buy and make sure all animals are fixed.
One female dog can produce nearly 4,000 puppies in her lifetime, and male dogs can father countless litters. Spaying and neutering is so important because we are at a point with pet overpopulation that for every puppy born, another pet is sentenced to death.
We all know that it's good to adopt and not buy, but we have to understand why, and we have to take it upon ourselves to not be afraid to spread this knowledge and to ask everyone we know to do the same.
I hope I see the day when people truly understand the consequences of breeders and puppy mills, of not spay and neutering, and that their actions make a statement. I hope to see the day that there is enough love in the world for all pets.
Last year 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 dogs and cats were euthanized in the United States - there are just as many still in shelters without a place to call home.
That is my motivation to change this.
So, let's start with the easy part first.
To create a society that would never have to put a pet down, we would need to:
1. Spay and neuter all dogs and cats
2. Always adopt pets from rescues and shelters
3. Never buy from a breeder or a pet store (aka. puppy mill)
4. Shut down puppy mills
Four simple steps really and honestly, they are a little repetitive ... we really just need to always adopt, never buy and make sure all animals are fixed.
One female dog can produce nearly 4,000 puppies in her lifetime, and male dogs can father countless litters. Spaying and neutering is so important because we are at a point with pet overpopulation that for every puppy born, another pet is sentenced to death.
We all know that it's good to adopt and not buy, but we have to understand why, and we have to take it upon ourselves to not be afraid to spread this knowledge and to ask everyone we know to do the same.
I hope I see the day when people truly understand the consequences of breeders and puppy mills, of not spay and neutering, and that their actions make a statement. I hope to see the day that there is enough love in the world for all pets.
Last year 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 dogs and cats were euthanized in the United States - there are just as many still in shelters without a place to call home.
That is my motivation to change this.
June 17, 2011
Facts are Important
Passion has always been the foundation for me when it comes to animals. I have always hated people who abuse animals, I have always cried when I heard stories about animals in pain, I have always had a difficult time walking into a shelter and not wanting to come out with every animal.
However, facts are what has helped me take my passion to a new - arguably more rational level - in advocating and making a difference for animals.
It's hard to hear statistics about Colorado euthanizing 40,000 animals a year - even harder when you think about that only being one state and that 3-4 million animals are euthanized annually in the United States, according to the Humane Society of the United States (http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/pet_overpopulation/facts/overpopulation_estimates.html).
It's even harder to watch a YouTube video of animals being euthanized, which I did for the first time about a week ago. I don't think this is for everyone, but for me, it gave me peace in watching that with humane practices there is someone comforting the animal and that it is fast and overall painless.
While I am a huge supporter of no-kill shelters, there is also a place for kill shelters, which I will address in a blog post all of it's own, but just know that any way you look at it, there are not enough homes for the 6-8 million animals in US shelters annually. There is no quality of life for dogs and cats to live in a cage for their entire life - they deserve so much better. The problem is not euthanizing animals - it sadly has to happen because there are too many animals - the problem is people no spay and neutering their pets, and the problem is breeders who irresponsibly make money off the demise of animals in shelters. Every time someone encourages breeders by purchasing a puppy, they are in-turn killing a puppy in a shelter.
I have many friends who have purchased their furry friends - and seven years ago, I did the same - but, knowing that there is an equally amazing dog in a shelter is the first step in creating a society that values animal rescue.
Some other facts to have in your back pocket:
- 25% of dogs in shelters are purebred! (See no breeder necessary - you can rescue a purebred!)
- 6-8 million dogs and cats enter shelters each year.
- 3-4 million dogs and cats are euthanized by shelters annually.
- 3-4 million dogs and cats are ADOPTED from shelters each year!
- There are about 3,500 animals shelters in the US
However, facts are what has helped me take my passion to a new - arguably more rational level - in advocating and making a difference for animals.
It's hard to hear statistics about Colorado euthanizing 40,000 animals a year - even harder when you think about that only being one state and that 3-4 million animals are euthanized annually in the United States, according to the Humane Society of the United States (http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/pet_overpopulation/facts/overpopulation_estimates.html).
It's even harder to watch a YouTube video of animals being euthanized, which I did for the first time about a week ago. I don't think this is for everyone, but for me, it gave me peace in watching that with humane practices there is someone comforting the animal and that it is fast and overall painless.
While I am a huge supporter of no-kill shelters, there is also a place for kill shelters, which I will address in a blog post all of it's own, but just know that any way you look at it, there are not enough homes for the 6-8 million animals in US shelters annually. There is no quality of life for dogs and cats to live in a cage for their entire life - they deserve so much better. The problem is not euthanizing animals - it sadly has to happen because there are too many animals - the problem is people no spay and neutering their pets, and the problem is breeders who irresponsibly make money off the demise of animals in shelters. Every time someone encourages breeders by purchasing a puppy, they are in-turn killing a puppy in a shelter.
I have many friends who have purchased their furry friends - and seven years ago, I did the same - but, knowing that there is an equally amazing dog in a shelter is the first step in creating a society that values animal rescue.
Some other facts to have in your back pocket:
- 25% of dogs in shelters are purebred! (See no breeder necessary - you can rescue a purebred!)
- 6-8 million dogs and cats enter shelters each year.
- 3-4 million dogs and cats are euthanized by shelters annually.
- 3-4 million dogs and cats are ADOPTED from shelters each year!
- There are about 3,500 animals shelters in the US
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