HELP ME - CENTRAL

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I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down, / Livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town, / I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime, / But is there because he's a victim of the times. ~Johnny Cash

LAST REPRIEVE FOR INKY! Inky is a black Lab mix who has been in the shelter for a month. He is a great dog, although his photos do not do him justice. He has a $100 sponsorship, as well. Please help him if you can. Inky will have to go on the Euth list, as he has been at the shelter so long. He is good with other dogs, handles well, no tricks, but very calm natured. He has handled the shelter environment and has actually gotten even sweeter, rather than deteriorating. About 4 years old. (Adoption Pending!)

     When I was in my early teens, I was an avid reader of mysteries, science fiction, and horror stories. While my friends were reading romance novels, I was being entertained by Agatha Christie, H.P. Lovecraft, and writers of scary stories published by Scholastic Books. I especially enjoyed collections of short stories of this genre. One short story that I clearly remember was titled “Revelations in Black." It was a gothic horror story. The main character, a young man, entered into a conversation with a mysterious woman he meets while sitting on a park bench at dusk. Whether by luck or plan they continued to meet at the same time and location every evening thereafter. The man was intrigued by this woman, who is always dressed in the same black gown with a veil covering her face. As time passed, the man began to notice that the woman was not quite what she appeared to be and, ultimately, realized that the woman in black was a vampire. Thus, the revelation. The story was dark and did not have a happy ending.

     Just like the young man in the story, I am drawn to the color black. Black dogs mixed in with a few black and white cats here and there have always been members of my family. When I growing up we had a black Chow mix named Inky, a black Beagle/Terrier mix I named Lady, and Chivas Regal, a Scottish Terrier. After I married, my parents adopted several black Labs. My sister’s family also had a preference for black Labs and many years ago they had a black cat named Midnight. The first cat my husband and I adopted was a black and white female we named Charlie Chaplin. We currently have four black Scottish Terriers and a male Tuxedo cat named Papillon. All have been great companions.  

    At some point I realized that not everyone is a fan of black dogs and cats.  Of course, black cats are burdened by the superstition that having a black cat cross your path is bad luck...and how better to avoid bad luck than to not have a black cat in your home. Black cats and dogs who are unfortunate enough to end up at a shelter are at a great disadvantage. When I see a plea for a black dog, my first thought is, “Oh no... not another one,” and I know that this dog will have a difficult time finding a home or rescue.

If we have black dogs or cats they are the last to be adopted. It is a fact, people will take white or brighter colored dogs or cats before black ones. The only time black is popular is around Halloween.  ~Author Unknown

     For many dogs awaiting adoption, the speed with which they find a home may rest not on their breed, gender or age, but on one trait that has no bearing on their personality or temperament. Shelter officials have dubbed it “Black Dog Syndrome” -  the propensity of dark-coated animals to be passed over for adoption in favor of their lighter counterparts. Skeptics claim the syndrome is an urban legend, but those who work at shelters and in rescue know the phenomenon is very, very real. To complicate matters even further, black dogs aren’t as photogenic as other dogs and many have white facial hair that gives them the look of an older dog. Many of the black dogs in shelters are large dogs. All of these factors make black dogs less likely to be adopted. A dog whose attributes fade into the background of  an online photo does not make a good impression to potential adopters or rescuers; a senior dog in a shelter has little hope of salvation; and shelters are overflowing with unwanted large dogs.

PLEASE HELP! Isley Bombay Small Adult Male URGENT! Ever seen an owl's eyes? Well, this splendid feline is boasting a pair! She has the biggest, most gorgeous eyes we've ever seen on a cat! THIS CAT HAS BEEN HERE FOREVER! SAVE ISLEY TODAY! - CONTACT: dcacanimals@yahoo.com or call (270) 685-8275

     A large majority of the cats in shelters across the country that never find homes are black. Like black dogs, they are judged by the color of their fur - and not by their character or personality. These beautiful black creatures spend the end of their lives watching all the other animals being adopted into new homes. Ultimately, they are finally chosen for the one thing they do not want: euthanasia. Black cats are the last cats adopted from shelters and rescues because of old myths and superstitions linking them to witches, devils, and bad luck. That is their bad luck! More black cats are euthanized than non-black cats.

     In 2002, The Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science published a study that examined the factors that determine the adoption of an animal, including the color of the animal's coat. The study found that potential adopters considered a black cat less desirable and, therefore, increased the cat's risk of euthanasia. The study also revealed that black cats were half as likely to be adopted as tabby cats and two-thirds less likely than white cats. In total, only 20% of the black cats in the study who were offered for adoption were given a chance at a loving home. Sadly, the remaining cats were euthanized.

BEV This is Bev. She is on the e list at a local shelter. She has until Monday to find a home home. Bev was found with a flea collar and an invisible fence collar on her. She is so depressed at the shelter that she has stopped eating! Please help this baby. She is 5 to 6 years young and loves everyone!  ONLY HAS UNTIL MON!!!! She has given up. Let's show her that we haven't given up on her! (Adopted!)

     Black cats and dogs like Bev, Isley, and Inky should not become another statistic or part of a gothic horror story with an uphappy ending just because they were born the “wrong” color. Just like we hope that people will judge us by the content of our character and not by the color of our skin, eyes or hair, so too should we not judge animals by the color of their fur. All of the animals in shelters are equally deserving of finding a good home and having a long life. We need to find ways to change their bad luck.

Color contributes to beauty, but it is not beauty. Color should have a minor part in the consideration of beauty, because it is not color but the structure that constitutes its essence. ~Johann Joachim Winckelmann

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One need not be a chamber to be haunted; One need not be a house;

The brain has corridors surpassing Material place.

~Emily Dickinson

      I am haunted by ghosts. Not the kind that go bump in the night or send shivers up your spine, but memories of the unwanted and unloved in our society. They come late at night on silent paws and disturb my sleep. They are the ghosts of dogs and cats that never lived in my house or felt the touch of my hand, but their sad, hopeful, confused faces in photos posted online or sent to me in emails are permanently etched in my mind.

These two dogs, #149 and #347,  were in a rural high intake/high kill shelter. They had no names and were given numbers to identify them. They were not adopted, rescued, offered a foster home, sponsored, or given a reprieve within the small period of time allotted to them, so they were killed.

    Yesterday was like every other day at an animal shelter. Unwanted dogs and cats were euthanized due to lack of space or, in some cases, “because their time was up.” The HSUS estimates that animal shelters care for 6-8 million dogs and cats every year in the United States, of whom approximately 3-4 million are euthanized. At this time, there is no central data reporting agency for animal shelters, so these numbers are estimates.

     While some shelter employees were going about their work of selecting and dispatching the cast-offs of our society, others were sending out pleas and begging for help for the dogs and cats whose only crimes were to be unwanted and homeless. Last December #149 and #347 were two of those unwanted animals. More dogs and cats were coming into the shelter, so room had to be made. Several dogs and puppies were placed on “The Euth List” and messages were sent out that they had to be removed from the shelter IMMEDIATELY or they would be killed. Some of these dogs were eligible for euthanization the day they were available for adoption/rescue. No cats or kittens were mentioned, but presumably they too were in danger.

No other disease or condition of companion animals takes as many lives as euthanasia. In fact, no other disease comes close. ~Janet M. Scarlett

     Today, shelters euthanize around 4 million animals, while there are more than 135 million dogs and cats in homes.  An animal in a shelter is killed every 1.5 seconds. Only one animal in 10 born in the U.S. gets a good home that lasts a lifetime. In Kentucky alone, 285,000 animals are relinquished to shelters or are abandoned each year. Kentucky is ranked #1 as the state to be an animal abuser and #50 in animal protection laws.  Eighty-five percent of homeless animals in the state are euthanized. Kentucky has more than three times the average number of animals in shelters and the kill rate is 15% above the national average. Cats and kittens are the step-children of the rescue world and do not get the exposure given to dogs and puppies. Some shelters kill 90% or more of their cats and kittens.

     People have sent me angry emails and messages accusing me of making them feel guilty because they have relinquished a pet to a shelter or because they "can't afford" to have their dog or cat spayed/neutered, resulting in unwanted puppies and kittens. People have also criticized me because I post updates about animals that have been euthanized. Recently someone posted on the website's Facebook page and stated that they were "unfriending" me because I had posted an update for a dog that had been killed in a shelter. Someone came to my defense and posted the following:

     "Those of us who spend countless hours each day and each week sharing, posting and cross-posting to expose the urgency of the dire plight of these pets' situations - through NO fault of their own - NEED to have closure on the animals we spend so much time networking. We share and cross-post numerous times for each animal and we feel a connection with these precious creatures. We don't just click "Share" and don't give them another thought; we think of them each and every day and as we try to fall asleep at night their images are the ones we see before finally drifting off to sleep, only to have their pleading, soulful eyes haunt us in our dreams.

     NO, we don't and CAN'T forget them, and they stay in our minds and in our hearts until we know they are safe. And for the ones who aren't lucky enough to make it out alive and find their rescue angel or furever home...they never leave us and it is for them that we continue to do what we do, as heartbreaking as it all too often is. So, YES, we need to have these updates; as upsetting and disturbing as they may be.

     But, what is even MORE UPSETTING AND DISTURBING is that these precious innocent souls end up in these Hell holes in the first place! The more eyeballs that see what is really going on - the good and the evil, the happily-ever-after and those that never get their happy endings - the MORE precious innocent lives can be SAVED! We CANNOT filter out ONLY the happy endings and pretend they will all be saved."

(Thank you Kacie C. for expressing so eloquently what many of us feel.)

     The memories of dogs like #149 and #347 haunt me. They did not deserve to die abandoned and alone, cowering in corners of runs and cages, pleading for love and life with sad, frightened eyes. Euthanizing and warehousing animals in shelters is not a solution to over-population and overcrowding. The way these animals were treated was cruel, inhumane, and unconscionable. Until we take responsibility for our actions and find reasonable, rational solutions, the killing will continue...and my dreams will be disturbed.

       R.I.P. #149 and #347. We will not and cannot forget you.

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Imagine not ever being able to walk freely, touch the ground, enjoy a kind word and caring caress. Now imagine this lasts your entire life. The only contact you have is to be removed from your cage, ravished, then nothing more. When you’re no longer able to conceive, you’re thrown in the trash, literally. This is the life of a puppy mill dog.  ~Donna S

 What kind a person (other than a legitimate breeder - a subject for another day) breeds animals for profit? Puppy mill operators and backyard breeders view animals as products. They don’t care about the conditions of their "factory," if the product is good or shoddy, or what happens to their product once it leaves the premises. The bottom line is about making money. Human decency and common sense don’t enter into the equation.

     This week a plea was sent out - ”EMERGENCY - 118  dogs seized from puppy mill.” This is a terrible situation for many different reasons. The first responders had the unenviable task of  going into a situation that is incomprehensible to the average person. They had to evaulate the animals, help those who required immediate assistance, and transport all of them to safe places. Many of these dogs and puppies were probably in poor condition - overbred and interbred, no vet care, and no socialization. The terrible living conditions have probably caused a myriad of problems. Initially, these dogs required vet care, grooming, and temporary housing.

"I am a small breeder in eastern Kentucky. My grandchildren are a big help in getting the puppies ready for their new homes. They love playing with the new puppies, but like me they hate to see the puppies (to) leave."

~Pat B. posted on PuppyFind.com

     According to news accounts, the conditions at this puppy mill/breeding facility were deplorable. Adult dogs, puppies, newborns, and pregnant females were living in a single wide trailer. Some of the rescued dogs “had mold growing on them, rotted teeth and dead rats in their cages....some were found with broken bones...others malnourished...and some living with their own feces inside the crates.”  Three small dachshunds were unable to stand.  At least one dog died.

     The rescue of dogs from a puppy mill often has a negative impact on others. Many times rescued puppy mill dogs are taken to a local shelter. Since many shelters are always at capacity, the current residents are in danger of dying to make room for incoming animals. More pleas are sent out begging people to help. Lives are at stake. The rescuers are overwhelmed. They need volunteers to help take care of the rescued animals and donations for medical care, food, and medicine. The outcome at this stage depends upon the humanity of those involved in the initial rescue. Several years ago, when a puppy mill was closed, all of the animals were taken to a rural high kill shelter that accepted animals from several different counties. The shelter manager would only allow one dog per run. The intake of  many new animals to an already crowded shelter created a crisis situation. The shelter manager's solution was to kill the animals already in the shelter to make room for the new dogs. Since the puppy mill dogs were held until the court could make a determination, all subsequent intakes were killed.

     The dogs from the current situation have been taken to a rural shelter. Thanks to a rescue group that strives to make this shelter low kill, the current residents of the shelter have been moved to another county and are being temporarily boarded at a shelter that recently closed. The rescue is actively seeking foster homes and rescues, as well as volunteers and donations.

I have three rescued breeder dogs from Missouri puppy mills. Puppy mill dogs are the sweetest, most appreciative dogs on the planet. It’s like they know they’ve just been given a second chance at life! ~Karin T

Two of my dogs were rescued from a puppy mill in Missouri. They and their parents were kept in a trailer that had no air conditioner during a hot summer when temperatures exceeded 100 degrees. Ballantine and Pinch were lucky. They were relatively healthy and adopted within a month of rescue. My son and I drove 16 hours round trip to adopt them. Although they are siblings, Ballantine and Pinch are as different as night and day. They differ in looks, personality, temperament, fur texture, and body length. Truth be told, Bally is not a good example of the breed, which indicates the indifferent manner in which they were bred. Both dogs are small in size for Scottish Terriers, weighing less than 20 lbs each.  When the rescuer placed them in my hands, I thought they were the most beautiful puppies I had ever seen. I hate to think about what they and the other dogs in the trailer must have endured before they were rescued.

These are strong and resilient creatures. They don't need our pity, or our unproductive anger. They need for us to stand up, to speak up, and to act, because they can't. People are responsible for the horrors that are puppy mills; people must be responsible for the solution as well. ~Katherine R

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More Information & Links:

Advertisement for puppies for sale (Ad has been removed):

http://www.puppyfind.com/view_listing/?list_id=uffc81707r&back=%2Fl%2F%3Facct_id%3D335023%26country%3D%26state%3D%26page%3D1%26order_by%3D%26back%3D&alert=sent&sid=1a7e4346676096e979e7415da7f2f338

118 Dogs Rescued From "Deplorable Conditions"

http://www.lex18.com/news/118-dogs-rescued-from-deplorable-conditions-/#.To56uhauEQs.facebook

This was not a new situation at this “small breeding facility.” A search online found that people were commenting about this puppy mill as far back as 2009. Puppy mill in Morehead > Comments from Dec 2009 & Jan 2010!!  http://www.topix.com/forum/city/morehead-ky/TV55USS8V2GQ2CLN4

HELP THE RESCUED DOGS & THE DOGS NEEDING RESCUE FROM THE SHELTER: To Donate, Foster, Rescue, Adopt, or Volunteer:

Saving The Animals of Rowan (STAR)

www.petfinder.com/shelters/KY251.html

Contacts: StarAdoptions@yahoo.com & cc juliatat@yahoo.com

More information about puppy mills: The Horrors of Puppy Mills

http://fortheloveofthedogblog.com/the-horrors-of-puppy-mills

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~GILLIGAN ~ R.I.P. This pitiful old boy was horribly abused, punctured, beaten, thrown over the fence at the pound, and died at the vet’s office.  His little body could not take anymore.

     October is one of my favorite months of the year. I love everything about the month: cooler weather and the almost too perfect days of Indian Summer, fresh cider, pumpkins, chrysanthemums, apples picked right from the tree, leaves changing to eye-catching hues or orange, yellow, brown and gold...and the crunching sound the fallen leaves make under my feet as I walk my dogs. The best part is that all of these sensory pleasures culminate in Halloween. Every day my anticipation grows as I decorate the house inside and outside, plan our annual Halloween party, bake cookies, and buy treats and candy to hand out to the trick or treaters who enjoy every eerie aspect of my yard as much as I do.

~ BULLET ~ GUNSHOTS! Dumped in a rural area and then found whimpering under a house. Shot by 3 different guns. A rifle, and 2 pistols. Unsure if one person used 3 guns or if 3 people had a shooting spree. Also had old fracture of  femur which had healed. This dog is incredibly sweet and was not a threat to anyone.

     My fondest childhood memories are of creating costumes from anything I could find around the house, going to Halloween parties, and trick or treating with friends. Vampires, werewolves, and Frankenstein’s monster were my companions. My mother and I shared a love for cheesy scary movies and I can clearly remember walking home from the neighborhood movie theater on a fall evening, in the days when local theaters existed and walking was a common practice, and discussing the attributes of Dracula in the movie we had just seen. He had been dashing and handsome... very much like Edward Cullen in the Twilight series. 

~ FRANCINE ~ PELVIS FRACTURE! The road department found this girl in the ditch while mowing. She appeared to have been there a couple days. Francine has a broken pelvis which needs to be plated.  She's only a year old and weighs 10lbs.

     I am not a fan of slasher movies. They show a lack of imagination. The blood and gore is gratuitous and only serves to desensitize people to cruelty. I don't understand why graphic violence is a source of entertainment. I can conjure up enough of my own horrors without having to view them on the wide screen or in my home. I had hoped humans would have evolved beyond the days when fighting to the death in arenas and watching public hangings were popular events.

Anyone who has accustomed himself to regard the life of any living creature as worthless is in danger of arriving also at the idea of worthless human lives. 

~Albert Schweitzer

~ CARL ~ GUNSHOT! FRACTURED JAW & LEG! Half starved as well. Broken front leg needed plate. Upper and lower jaw broken. Tail was still wagging.

     When I was a child, my grandmother said to me, “The only real monsters in the world are people.”  At that time I understood her words based on my experiences as a child. I believed she was explaining to me that the monsters in movies and in my nightmares weren’t real. However, as I grew older I realized that my Grandmother’s words had many levels of meaning. Monsters are everywhere...and they are people. We only have to watch a local newscast, read a newspaper, or search online to see the horrors created by humans. We bully and intimidate others. We are neglectful, irresponsible, and cruel. And then there are those who abuse, torment, and kill - the monsters who take pleasure in the helplessness of others, especially animals and children.

~CAROLYN ~GUNSHOT! Carolyn was found on the side of a road in a rural area with a injured leg. She had been shot. She is a very sweet dog that was probably dumped. Her age is about a year old, as she still has one puppy canine tooth. Carolyn weighs about 12lbs.

     I am always shocked by how people treat animals, but the reality is that the most vulnerable members of our society are easy prey. Last year I started keeping track of the "reported" cases of animal abuse in Kentucky. I emphasize the word “reported” because many cases of abuse are undetected. The victims do not have a voice. 

~ DOT ~ EYE INJURY!  6 Year Old Chihuahua with Eye Hanging Out! Vet sewed it back in, but doubt she will see out of it again. She also has a fractured pelvis. Not sure if the trauma was from the end of a boot or from being hit by car. Owners didn't have the gas money to get her to vet. Neighbors told them to shoot Dot. The dark shading around her eye is bruising and the stitches are to hold the third eyelid over the eye to see if it will reattach. Dot's rear leg is just dangling.

     Every day brings another horror story. All of the dogs pictured here are from one county and all of the abuse occurred recently, within a very short period of time. There are 120 counties in Kentucky. I can only assume, but try not to imagine, that more atrocities have occurred. Studies have long shown the correlation between animal abuse, criminal behavior, and violence towards humans.  We need to acknowledge that cruelty to animals is wrong and unacceptable. We need to speak for those who can't speak for themselves and demand that cruelty be harshly punished. We need to confront the real monsters in the world and stop them.

Dr. Carbone told me "We can choose not to look at or hear about animal abuse, but that does not mean it's not happening."   So simple yet so true.  I used to be a "can't look coward".  That only helped me - did nothing for the animals. Dr. Carbone is right - if animal lovers don't look animal abuse in the eye and help, who will? 

~E. Reed

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Sometimes being overlooked in a shelter is not a bad thing. “Archie” was a young yellow and white tabby in a high kill rural shelter in Kentucky. The shelter policy was to kill every animal in the shelter every week.  A volunteer did her best to find homes and rescues for the death row inmates, but she was always fighting a race against time. “Archie” had been in the shelter a few months. The volunteer posted a plea to a Yahoo group, “This young cat has been overlooked for weeks, but this week his time is up.”  At the time I was fostering a mama cat and nine kittens. I had made an appointment with a veterinarian located in a county adjacent to where the shelter was located to have the female kittens spayed and I offered to take “Archie.” I thought one cat similar in age and color to our foster family would go unnoticed by my husband and “Archie” needed a place to go.  My offer to foster was accepted.

    When  I arrived at the vet’s office, “Archie” was already there, having been transported by the volunteer from the shelter. An examination of “Archie” prior to surgery revealed that he, was in fact, a she. I renamed her Angelica because it was close to Christmas. Angelica was spayed along with the other kittens and when I returned the following day, she came home with me, hidden amongst the others in a crate.

     Angelica made an easy transition into our home. Having one more kitten underfoot  didn’t make any noticeable difference. The other cats accepted Angelica as one of their own. My husband didn’t realize we had a stowaway until the day when he took the time to count all of them. As the weeks passed, some of the kittens found forever homes. Angelica’s angel never came looking for her. Angelica is now four years old. She is a small, slender girl. Like her namesake in the Rug Rats cartoon, she is talkative, inquisitive, and makes certain we are always aware of her presence. She enjoys sitting on my son’s lap when he sits at the computer and sleeps with him at night, snuggling under the covers. Angelica is safe and loved. She is home.

BUZZ  Pit Bull ~ EUTHANIZED ~ Buzz was a sweet 1 yr old boy who was brought in as an owner surrender. He was a nice boy and didn't mind the other dogs at the pound.  

     Unfortunately, most overlooked shelter animals like Angelica do not have a “happy ever after" story. The few that  are accidentally overlooked for euthanasia are ultimately discovered and killed. Many others die in shelters because they are ignored or intentionally overlooked by potential adopters and rescues. People deem them to be unadoptable or unacceptable because they are the wrong color (black), the wrong breed (mixes and Bully breeds), the wrong age (seniors and  teenagers in the awkward stage), or the wrong size (large breed dogs).  Some are not pretty enough to catch the eye (plain brown dogs and gray tabby cats) or they are too shy or frightened by the noise and chaos of the shelter. Some have minor flaws, disabilities, or special needs. All are deserving of love and homes. Since many dogs and cats have only a small window of opportunity in which to find a home or rescue, those who don’t make a good first impression, who are seen through the bars of a cage or run, or in a blurry, poorly taken photograph posted online, often lose their lives. Sometimes we have to look beyond the dirt, the fear, the uncertainty in those pleading eyes and take a chance. Like me, you may find a diamond in the rough.

It is only with the heart that one can see rightly;

what is essential is invisible to the eye.  

~Antoine de Saint-Exupry

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One of the first lessons we learn as children is that we have to share. We must share our mother with our father. If we have siblings, we have to share the time and attention we receive from both parents, share our toys, and sometimes we share clothes and bedrooms. On the playground we share swings and slides, and in school we are expected to share our ideas, thoughts, and feelings. We share secrets and apartments with friends and hopefully soon to be friends, and we share seats on buses and airplanes with strangers. On Facebook we share information.

     Every morning I look at the website's visitor statistics as well as the number of people who look at the website's Facebook pages. I know how many people visit the website and what links they used to find it. I know the number of people who look at the Facebook posts and how many click on the share buttons. What I find frustrating and difficult to understand is that anywhere from 500 to 1000 people might look at one post, but rarely do more than a few of these “friends” share the post. When I cross-post a transport, hundreds of people look, but only a handful bother to click on the link to see the full run, and even fewer share the post. The chances of adoption, rescue, and sponsorship increase if more people share and network. Transports need many drivers located in all parts of the country and sharing the information increases the likelihood that the runs will be filled. Networking saves lives. So that raises the question, "Why don't people share?"

     Several months ago my daughter and I had a discussion about human motivation. My daughter said that this subject had been discussed in one of her classes and that the class concluded that every human action is motivated by a personal goal or benefit. My first instinct was to disagree, but as we discussed the subject I began to believe she was correct. We act to minimize physical pain or discomfort, to maximize pleasure, to meet a specific need, goal or ideal, to receive a reward or benefit, or for emotional reasons.  Unless we receive some sort of benefit, we don’t act - whether it be a reasoned decision or instinctive behavior - without some kind of reward. Clicking on a share button may be a little too easy to motivate the average human to act. There is no instant gratification, no feedback, no pat on the back...no incentive to motivate us.

Together we can change the world, one good deed at a time. ~Blake Beattie

     When pleas for help go unanswered, the animals that didn't receive commitments become another sad statistic.  Many transports are canceled because the runs don't fill, and often this results in animals having to remain in overcrowded shelters.  Shelters respond by killing for space. It takes only a few minutes to cross-post a plea and one second to click a button on Facebook to share a message.  Too many people fret and complain about the problems that exist, but sit on the sidelines. They don’t want to make an effort, get involved, or do anything that might inconvenience them. As someone recently pointed out in a post, "Few things in life are free and sharing costs nothing". The simple act of sharing can make a difference for one unwanted animal. Please share today!

Each small act of kindness reverberates across great distances and spans of time, affecting lives unknown to the one whose generous spirit was the source of the good echo, because kindness is passed on and grows each time it is passed, until simple courtesy becomes an act of selfless courage years later and far away.

~Dean Koontz

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#37 Female Pit Bull Mix about 2-3 years old. Good With People Friendly and LOVES Attention. SHELTER FAVORITE. Cheated death twice. Sadly no one came for this girl and she was PUT TO SLEEP.

All that breathes is precious. Who is to say that the suffering of an animal is less worthy of solace than the pain of man? The spark of life is no dimmer simply because it is encased in fur or leather. ~ Anonymous

     I am having one of those “I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take it any more days”...except I don’t have any power or control over all the madness in the world.  All I can do is rant and cross-post...and hope. Many shelters are overflowing and some are euthanizing (killing) for space TODAY. Some are killing because that is what they do every week, even though the shelter isn’t full.  Pleas are being sent out, people are cross-posting - and everyone who cares is involved in a race against time - with the losers ending up dead.

     I look at the faces of all those unwanted animals and I can barely control my anger.  Why are these helpless, loving, trusting creatures in this position? Why do we as a society find it an acceptable practice to kill a  dog or cat just  because he or she is homeless?  When are the responsible people of the world going to say enough is enough and this behavior of catering to the irresponsible has got to stop?

For every animal that dies in a shelter, there is a HUMAN somewhere RESPONSIBLE for its death. ~Author Unknown

      I am tired of all the excuses (if they even bother to give one) from people who surrender their animals to a kill shelter, abandon them on the side of the road, or allow them to wander off without making an effort to find them.  What kind of person gets up in the morning and thinks, “I’m tired of feeding my cat, walking my dog, and/or taking five minutes to give this animal who relies upon me for life itself five minutes of my time”? No one moves or loses their home in one day. No one instantly becomes so busy they don’t have the time to care for their cat or dog or to safely rehome them.  Why would anyone rent an apartment or home knowing the landlord does not allow pets? Why adopt a cat or dog if you know your circumstances will change in the future or you are unable or unwilling to make a lifelong commitment?  Why allow the birth of a litter of kittens or puppies when you know you don't want them...or their mother?

The senseless killings of doomed pets who are a sad byproduct of an ignorant and lazy society are an outrage. One would think America is a modern country, with an intelligent society, yet every day thousands of innocent pets die - because the mainstream does not get "being responsible."  ~Monika Courtney

     There are alternatives to killing and there are ways and resources to stop this constant influx of animals into shelters. Spay your dogs and cats instead of allowing them to have unwanted offspring. Low cost spay/neutering is available. If you are moving or must rehome your dog or cat, contact a shelter or rescue and ask if they will post a courtesy listing on their website. Network - contact friends, family, and coworkers. If your pet is ill, there are grants, groups, and people who are willing to help...I can testify to that as a beneficiary of the generousity of others. Food banks can provide food for those who are unable to feed their cats and dogs. Programs exist to find homes for unwanted senior and/ or disabled animals. Resources are available for all kinds of situations...you just have to make an effort to find out what is available instead of taking the “easy” route of placing the responsibility on others. Killing an unwanted animal should NEVER be an option.

Stand still, close your eyes and listen; in the silence you can hear the cries of pain and low moans of anguish of animals waiting to die... do everything you can even if today it is just one small thing. There are no excuses for inaction, despair, egotism, or petulance that matter to the animals.  ~Ashley Montague

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