Need to vent... irresponsible pet owners...

[poshpepper]

No specific story to this vent, just that I am so tired and emotionally worn out from hearing about all these beautiful caring animals being dumped by their "owners"... every time I read a story (and I try to stay away from them) I get so depressed. Just wanted to write it out so that hopefully I can feel better (as I have tears welling in my eyes...) can you tell I just read a story?

Anyway... aside from that can the lovely PS posters please tell me a way that I can help this issue out? Unfortunately I do not have time to volunteer, but I can make small monthly donations... I would love to know the best place to put my $$$ so that it goes to a cause that is upstanding and helps these poor babies.

Sorry if this was depressing...

that''s about what my mood is right now.

 

[Madam Bijoux]

Donations are the best way to go if you don''t have time to volunteer and can''t take in an abandoned pet. Besides money, shelters can always use blankets and food donations.

 

[packrat]

On another forum, a friend linked to a place in..Utah I think. Best Friends Sanctuary or something, I can''t recall the name now. It is the most amazing place. They have all kinds of pictures and bios on the animals, and "wish lists" from the animals on specific things they would like and where to get them. You can pick an animal to sponsor too. I *think* that was the place Loriken''s beloved sponsor kitty was??? Don''t quote me on that tho.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Hi poshpepper,

I know what you mean. It is so frustrating. Things you can do:

1. Can you foster a cat or dog for a rescue group? Depending on where you are located, there are rescue groups that work entirely on a foster care system, as opposed to kenneling.

2. Encourage others to adopt. Discourage buying puppies from pet stores, i.e. puppy mills. It is a strange thing, though. Even though people *know* that they shouldn't buy from big chain pet stores, they still do it. A woman at work bought a tiny dog (some kind of mini shih-tzu, I think), said she knew it was wrong and that she was sure he was from a puppy mill. Within a month, the vet bills started pouring in for several severe medical issues. Way to go, perpetuating misery and all. Uggh.

3. Donate money. I would check Petfinder for rescue groups in your area, see which ones pull from shelters in your area and consider donating to one or more of those groups. I tend to avoid donating to large, national groups because I feel my money will do more good at a local level.

 

[poshpepper]

Thanks for the replies ladies. I am going to look into donating some $$$ and supplies to some no-kill shelters in my area.

ETA -- Thanks LV for the other ideas! I will definitely look at that website to find a good shelter to donate to.

 

[dragonfly411]

It is so very frustrating yes. We recently adopted a rescue and love him to smithereens. I''ve helped to rehabilitate several horse rescues... it is always so sad. I donate, and volunteer my time when I can. I also help to rehome rescue horses when I can. Someday I hope to have small rescue herd along with my barrel horses.

 

[Aloros]

I visited several animal shelters when looking for a dog. They make me depressed.

Other than donations, I always try to remember to go to www.thehungersite.com every day. One of the tabs is for providing food for shelter animals. Click to provide .6 bowls of food!

If you visit the pet store when they are doing adoptions, the rescue group will usually have a list of things they need. Then you can just buy a couple things for them while you''re there. Plus, you can play with the kitties/dogs. One-stop shopping!

 

[NewEnglandLady]

It's very tough. I volunteered at a local shelter and it was very, very draining. I still volunteer for my breed-specific rescue and I find it very difficult. You become too attached to the animals and it's hard not to take out any rage on the current owners. Many times I have hung up the phone shaking because I'm so angry that an owner refuses to hand over his/her dog to rescue and wants to make a buck. While I support rescue and fully intend to be a foster parent to my breed-specific rescue in the future, I still think I make a bigger impact by supporting truly great breeders. Breeders who would never allow their dogs to end up alone and in a shelter.

In our shelter we had this poem on the wall and I now have it hanging on my fridge:

Here in this house..........

I will never know the loneliness I hear in the barks of the other dogs 'out there'.
I can sleep soundly, assured that when I wake my world will not have changed.
I will never know hunger, or the fear of not knowing if I'll eat.
I will not shiver in the cold, or grow weary from the heat.
I will feel the sun's heat, and the rain's coolness,
and be allowed to smell all that can reach my nose.
My fur will shine, and never be dirty or matted.
Here in this house...

There will be an effort to communicate with me on my level.
I will be talked to and, even if I don't understand,
I can enjoy the warmth of the words.
I will be given a name so that I may know who I am among many.
My name will be used in joy, and I will love the sound of it!
Here in this house...

I will never be a substitute for anything I am not.
I will never be used to improve peoples' images of themselves.
I will be loved because I am who I am, not someone's idea of who I should be.
I will never suffer for someone's anger, impatience, or stupidity.
I will be taught all the things I need to know to be loved by all.
If I do not learn my lessons well, they will look to my teacher for blame.
Here in this house...

I can trust arms that hold, hands that touch...
knowing that, no matter what they do, they do it for the good of me.
If I am ill, I will be doctored.
If scared, I will be calmed.
If sad, I will be cheered.
No matter what I look like, I will be considered beautiful and thought to be of value.
I will never be cast out because I am too old, too ill, too unruly, or not cute enough.
My life is a responsibility, and not an afterthought.
I will learn that humans can almost, sometimes, be as kind and as fair as dogs.

Here in this house...
I will belong.
I will be home.

 

[princesss]

I know my local Petsmart has shelters come in every weekend, and they have a list of supplies they need. You could do a little shopping for them, and then you could pet the little fluffballs that will benefit from it.

 

[iheartscience]

I know exactly how you feel, poshpepper. I have a very hard time watching or reading any depressing animal stories. I have 3 rescue kitties of my own and I encourage all of my friends and family to adopt from shelters instead of going to a breeder.

 

[princesss]

NEL, that made me tear up. The part about having a name especially made me sad/happy - our furbabies all look so happy when they hear us call their name. Even my cats come when they hear their name called! Ezra and Bodhi were adopted when they were only a few months old, so most of their memories are of us, but Lola was 6 1/2 when I got her. I don''t think I ever want to know about her past - her present and her future are with me, and that''s what matters.

 

[MonkeyPie]

NEL, that was sooooo lovely.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

The thing with pets is that we can do everything in our power to make them as happy as possible and I still think it''s a fraction of how much joy they bring us.

 

[dragonfly411]

That poem made me think of our rescued boy. I hope he thinks those things about us. He''s opened up so much since he''s been with us. he asks to be held now... asks to be put in the bed (before you couldn''t get hold of him to save your life). He loves to cuddle with us on the couch, and rubs his head against me when he wants attention. He gets equal amounts of treats, and lots of long walks. I feel so sad to think he could have ended up being euthanized. I wish I could rescue all of them

 

[NewEnglandLady]

So sad--that''s what I find so amazing about rescues. They can be subjected to some truly inhumane and inexcusable conditions, yet they are still trusting and loving of humans. Even those with behavioral issues become physically and mentally healthy with time. It''s very humbling.

 

[lulu]

I did cat rescue work for years. But the irresponsible people broke my spirit and I became too depressed. So now I do as much as I can financially. All three of my cats are rescues and they give us so much joy. My next dog will be a rescue too.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Donating food seems like a great way to help out.

Both of my cats came from homes who had kittens to unfixed cats. We did rescue two cats and found them new homes. It''s a wonderful feeling, yet difficult because before they moved to their new homes, I fell in love with them. I cried when we gave them away. It takes a tough person to donate time and be kind yet not develop emotional ties to the pets.

Silly as it sounds, I rescued a sick betta and healed him up. It cost quite a bit of money considering he was only $3.99. People don''t realize how much medical expenses (or equipment in the case of the fish) can add up.

I wonder if "gift certificates" to vets can be made. Some people are wonderful pet owners and may be short of cash and have a pet who needs to get fixed or seen for care.

 

[Mara]

I second Loves Vintage's post about local shelters (I would focus on no-kill centers) and donations. Also if you can donate to specific rescue groups, there are always a handful in each area.

I am not sure if they still have a huge influx of pets but I donated for a while to one of the Texas shelters that was taking in all these Katrina dogs... there are sometimes shelters in areas that have had local hardship that need additional money.

Also, wholeheartedly second encouraging people to not buy from pet stores or puppy mills. If you must have a puppy, get it from a reputable breeder that respects the breed and tries to breed out negative traits. Or rescue if you are able. If you have a certain breed in mind, typically there are rescue groups locally or even regionally that are breed specific so you can still get the breed you want and rescue a dog at the same time. I was on a rescue list for a Westie for a few years but didn't get one, we ended up getting a puppy from a local breeder.

The stories out there are so sad about people losing their homes and leaving pets behind, I read one the other day about a realtor who started her own rescue facility after finding so many abandoned pets in foreclosed homes. There is no way I could ever volunteer at a local shelter, I have had friends try it and it's just too heartbreaking. You want to take all the pets home. For those that are able to give their time, they are amazing.