My last few blogs have been about our local animal shelters. Although I did not name any one entity specifically, I have found all to be in similar condition. They claim to be "no-kill" or working on it. Yet hardly a day goes by without another facebook post pleading for the lives of animals on death row, or rescues to take in and pay for veterinary treatment of ill or injured animals. There is also the regular updates on woeful conditions and shabby treatment, including euthanasia methods, of the animals. Yet nothing changes. Shelter management does nothing except wait it out, eventually the uproar dies down, new, naive volunteers take the place of those who burn out, and all goes on as before.
Rescue groups remain full, overloaded, continuing to enable the shelter culture of doing as little as possible. They don't seem to mind passing on basic animal care, posting adoptable animals, working on enrichment for the animals or enforcing animal abuse laws.
I know I've said this all before, and my opinions have not changed. With each new management installation, or atrocious report, comes the confirmation.
I realize changes are needed on all levels, from shelter employees, management, municipal leaders, etc. But that's not the main point of today's blog. In my opinion, one of the most important tasks not being done, is the education aspect. Shelters should also be responsible for educating the public, promoting responsible pet care and ownership and not making it so easy for people to dodge responsibility. They need to be upfront about an animal's chance of adoption, of ever leaving the shelter alive.
So the rest of this blog is directed to those responsible for the existence of animal shelters in the first place. If people would take an active, caring, responsible approach to the owning of animals, we would not have overloaded shelters, full of animals to be warehoused until they are killed. We would not have overburdened rescue groups. We would not have heart broken elderly dogs and cats, callously dumped when they become inconvenient. We would not have litters born on the streets, left to fend for themselves, if they make it. We would not have animals roaming at large, unaltered and breeding. We would not have animals abandoned, left behind, when people move. We would have no need for feral cat programs, since all cats would have homes.
So wake up people! Take responsibility for the animals you bring into your lives. This means a life time commitment to the well being, care and safety of these animals.
Ignorance is no excuse! There are so many options out there. Do your homework, make sure you are ready for the commitment. Pet ownership is serious, and should not be taken lightly. These animals should not be treated as disposable objects, they are living, breathing, feeling beings and deserve to be treated with respect and kindness. Put yourselves in their place, imagine how you would feel in similar situations. These animals depend on you.
Rescue groups remain full, overloaded, continuing to enable the shelter culture of doing as little as possible. They don't seem to mind passing on basic animal care, posting adoptable animals, working on enrichment for the animals or enforcing animal abuse laws.
I know I've said this all before, and my opinions have not changed. With each new management installation, or atrocious report, comes the confirmation.
I realize changes are needed on all levels, from shelter employees, management, municipal leaders, etc. But that's not the main point of today's blog. In my opinion, one of the most important tasks not being done, is the education aspect. Shelters should also be responsible for educating the public, promoting responsible pet care and ownership and not making it so easy for people to dodge responsibility. They need to be upfront about an animal's chance of adoption, of ever leaving the shelter alive.
So the rest of this blog is directed to those responsible for the existence of animal shelters in the first place. If people would take an active, caring, responsible approach to the owning of animals, we would not have overloaded shelters, full of animals to be warehoused until they are killed. We would not have overburdened rescue groups. We would not have heart broken elderly dogs and cats, callously dumped when they become inconvenient. We would not have litters born on the streets, left to fend for themselves, if they make it. We would not have animals roaming at large, unaltered and breeding. We would not have animals abandoned, left behind, when people move. We would have no need for feral cat programs, since all cats would have homes.
So wake up people! Take responsibility for the animals you bring into your lives. This means a life time commitment to the well being, care and safety of these animals.
Ignorance is no excuse! There are so many options out there. Do your homework, make sure you are ready for the commitment. Pet ownership is serious, and should not be taken lightly. These animals should not be treated as disposable objects, they are living, breathing, feeling beings and deserve to be treated with respect and kindness. Put yourselves in their place, imagine how you would feel in similar situations. These animals depend on you.
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