Times are tough. No doubt about it. As the financial crises deepens, everyone's looking to blame someone, and there's plenty of blame to go around -- the politicians, the bankers, the consumers who borrowed and bought beyond their means. But there's a very large and important part of our population that deserves no blame, yet will feel plenty of pain: the hundreds of thousands of pets who will be abandoned because people can't afford them; the millions of pets in shelters who won't be able to find loving homes.
Pets deserve every bit of love and attention and assistance we can give them. Because almost every pet returns that love unconditionally -- whether it's a dog happily licking your face when you return home from a grueling day, or a cat curling into your arms and purring reassuringly when you're feeling down, or a bird cheerfully chirping to drown out the gloom of the nightly news.
Pets are my passion. I was formerly CEO of the Meow Mix Company and am currently Top Cat at Zootoo.com, an online community of passionate pet lovers. Supporting animal shelters is my way of channeling my passion in a meaningful way to help the largest number of pets.
Do you know where your local animal shelter is? If so, you're in the minority. 70% of Americans have no idea because in many communities across the country, the shelter is on the wrong side of the tracks, out by the airport, next to the city dump. Out of sight, out of mind.
But not out of my mind. And hopefully, not out of yours. There are so many ways people can be helpful to shelters, ways that don't involve writing a check at a time when that can be a very painful exercise. For example, every community wants their schools to teach social responsibility and good citizenship. Shelters are desperate for volunteers to walk and play with the animals, to help clean and groom the pets. What better way for children to learn the values of charity and responsibility and kindness? Scouts, church groups, senior centers -- every community organization should be encouraged to pitch in.
Shelters are homes for animals, and they need many of the same things your home needs: food, cleaning and office supplies, paint and furniture, landscaping, and so on. If every local merchant or service provider were encouraged to donate even a little, it would quickly add up.
Every bit of community involvement helps. At Zootoo.com, we sponsor an annual Pet Shelter Makeover contest. Last year, over 1000 shelters participated, and just the increased visibility led to significant gains in volunteers, contributions, and most important, adoptions.
If you have ideas about how to help, I'd love to hear them. I promise to talk about the best ones in future blogs. Because we have to help the animals!
Another idea is to ask senior residences or retirement homes if they'd like to adopt a resident cat or small docile dog. Pet therapy is a well-known stress reducer for lonely seniors. You could also encourage shop owners and small businesses to adopt an office cat. Many stores in my area have shop cats who live there quite happily.
Whatever we can do to eliminate these unnecessary cruel farm methods employed by sadistic dairy farmers to save a penny per egg or a dime on a pound of steak is a moral duty for all civilized individuals.
A YES VOTE on PROPSITION # 2 is the first step.
If you can match my $50 that is deducted from my monthly pension check of $910.00, for last minute TV ads, all the better, but at least spread the word;
www.YESonProp2.com.
Go vegan. Tell everyone you know why it's important. Inform people that vivisection is not only unbearably cruel, it's inaccurate. Pass mandatory spay/neuter legislation.
http://www.whyvegan.com
http://www.meetyourmeat.com
http://www.factoryfarming.com
There's a lot you're saying I do agree with, including "don't force on those that can't" - and many cannot grow their own food because of space, time, or other related concerns. Realism supplants idealism 6 days per week. Only pompous narcissists with deity complexes sing about doing anything 8 days a week...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2007/10/02/petscol.DTL
We hear you in regards to factory farming, research animals etc. Your plight and beliefs do not trump the issue being presented by this blogger, though. Idealism can be a form of vanity.......
for years, i rescued cats, and found homes for a great number of them. i now have a dozen of my own, all hard luck cases nobody wanted, and now, when people meet them, all exclaim, gosh, i wish they were my cats.
all they ever needed was love and a second chance.
animals truly are the ones who are forgotten and left behind when things get tough for humans. they are the most innocent souls on this earth, and the most loving. we have much to learn from them on that score.
you may be preaching to the choir, but it should serve to remind us to go out and remind those who are not members of the choir, that if they have pets, they have taken responsibility for a life. just because that life comes wrapped in fur and walking on four paws makes it no less precious a life than any other, and pets' lives need to be protected and provided for as for every other member of the family.
if you wouldn't leave your children behind at an orphanage, then don't leave your pets behind at a shelter because it's the easy or more convenient thing to do.
people do not understand cats, they want animals they can easily control.
I live in SW missouri (branson area) and this is not a great place for cats in the best of times. I have trapped quite a few feral cats, took them to the vet for tests and shots, and neutering/spaying, I let them recover, then release them back where I found them. Better a life free than a life snuffed out by a shelter. If they are former pets, I try to find them homes, and have been relatively successful. Over the last 5 years the # of feral cats has declined alot.
I regularly drop off huge bags of cat food, a local feed store helps out with a discounted price.
I wish there was some way to chemically sterilize the feral animals to end the suffering of future generations of animals.
I have one rescue cat who is a memeber of the family, I rescued her when she was only 7 weeks old, I bottle fed her and kept her on a heatingpad. She is now 12 years old and possible the happiest cat I know. When I decide to add another, I will goto the pound and rescue another or two.
What really pisses me off is when people declaw their cat, and then let them out or abandon them... that is cruelty at a whole other level.
And when they decide to acquire a dog they ask themselves "What brand do I want?" just as they would with a car or shoes.
There is too much emphasis on the "brand" (breed) of dog based on how they look.
Educate people that the best dog is not one that looks a certain way, but one whose personality matches your needs.
Rescue groups can match people with the perfect dog because rescued dogs have been living in a foster home and have exhibited their personalities.
You know exactly what you are getting when you adopt a dog that was rescued.
When you buy a dog from a breeder or a pet store, you will most likely get a headache.
There aren't a lot of opportunities in life where you can immediately make a positive impact on the world just by making the right choice. Adopting a dog saves a life, helps the rescue groups that are fighting an uphill battle, and gives you a great pet. It is WIN-WIN-WIN.