Animal Cruelty

Animal Cruelty (posted with the author's permission)

http://saneramblings.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=189&sid=33f8da6cc62d0c0ed39b72a192972f47

America is loudly expressing its outrage over a professional football player's extreme cruelty to dogs. Yet as you read this, dogs and cats, puppies and kittens who bubble with love to share are being killed in animal shelters because no-one wants them.

The media is not covering your local animal shelter, where you could look into the eyes of a fluffy brown little cocker spaniel who would lick your fingers in gratitude that you care about her. Or the black labrador who would be your best friend, if only you gave him a chance.

Why? Because we are all guilty, not a football player, as so many people have abandoned those defenseless critters, and to rescue even one is a big responsibility most of us don't take. Nor do we collectively actively advocate spaying or neutering of pets, we just allow the population to explode.

Each day, cute and loving critters who are helpless, homeless, scared and alone, are put to death. And you won't see it on television nor view pictures of it in your newspaper.

Meanwhile, across the U.S. over a half million children have been abandoned and left in the foster care system. No-one seems to want them either.

I focus a great deal of my time and energy on the Iraq war, in which hundreds of thousands of people have been killed, millions wounded and vast numbers of children orphaned, in many cases with no family left to take them. And as you read this, more men, women and children are being killed, maimed and/or orphaned. And by the way, so are their dogs.

In Darfur, perhaps 300,000 men, women and children have been killed in a racial and political genocide, and the lives of two million survivors hang tenuously in the balance as they struggle to survive in makeshift camps.

But we as a society have a strong toleration for this extreme cruelty to mankind for most people sit silent, allowing it to happen without expressing their outrage or even so much as a comment.

When the media coverage of this football player ends and they move-on to chase the next story, what he did will be largely forgotten. But the animal shelters will kill critters no-one wants, the foster care system will be over-run with children no-one wants and the Iraq war and the slaughter in Darfur will continue.

Perhaps today, you'll raise your voice in compassion for those in desperate need. Your voice may make a difference as it helps lead to action to resolve these or other major problems, something your silence could never do.

Dick

--------------------------------------------------------

Another powerful piece by my friend Dick Kazan. More commentary, thoughts and candlelight vigil recaps at his site http://www.saneramblings.com

but he misses an even bigger one...the numbers of shelters that are going no- or minimal-kill (seriously ill, injured, or dangerous animals) due to fostering programs. The numbers of shelters now that won't allow adoptions of intact animals. The numbers of shelters providing free and low cost spay and neuter and publicizing these heavily. The numbers of rescue groups that work tirelessly to find forever homes for specific breeds; and for mixes. The numbers of communities that now have trap/neuter/release programs for feral cats.

Sure, things aren't perfect and there's still a lot of horrendous waste of lives. But it's better than it was 30 years ago (when our own shelter didn't neuter and used a vacuum extraction chamber for killing). It's better than it was 20 years ago. It's better than it was 5 years ago.

And those are points that need to be made, too.

Pets are required to be nuetered or the owners pay a significant fine. Only certified breeders are allowed to have fully functional pets. As a matter of fact, if your pet ends up in a shelter and you can't prove that they are fixed, then you have to pay $150 for an exam to prove they are.

If it's not in our face we (collective "we") could care less.

And an insult to every person who works with rescue, adopts a rescue or does anything to help make life better for the 'throwaways'. If you think that is very few, then you aren't even paying attention to the people right here on DU.

No, things aren't perfect. But to imply that nothing is changing is just bullshit.

or that you took my post as a personal insult. I was speaking of society as a whole. I can't remember the last time I read a newspaper article or saw a television headline about the kids in the foster system or the overloaded animal shelters.
Before the Vick case I can't recall one conversation heard about dog-fighting...because it was a celebrity it brought it to the forefront...and as soon as Lindsey or Paris gets arrested again it will be forgotten.
I applaud the people who commit their lives to the "throwaways" and cast-offs of society, and I'm glad you believe that things are changing...that gives me a little hope, because from where I stand people are fairly oblivious to the world around them.

go to theanimalrescuesite.com, every morning. The way it works is; For each click on the feed animals button, their sponsors pay a penny or so. It is free for you to do, once a day. It only takes a second. Every single penny goes towards food for rescued animals. No salaries, no waste. It works out to 1/2 bowl of food per click.
It is so simple. I do it every morning when I turn on the computer, right before reading my email.

do it today!
theanimalrescuesite.com

mammograms for the poor and wild lands. great thing. its my home page.

I'll start doing the same. Every little bit helps.

nice to have you on board.

Nice to meet you :hi:

come kitten season, the shelters always have way more kittens than room, so they look for people to help while 'the kids' get old enough to be altered and adopted. The shelter that I volunteer at (www.angelswithpaws.net), is a no kill shelter knows that everyone wants a kitten and does everything they can to help every new feline life. Of course, when I started helping this shelter, my first foster was Tigger, the geriatric older feline who had come from a household where the elderly lady had passed away. He had a thyroid problem, which cause to to be emaciated and to have a constant hunger and I found out that he was pretty much blind. But Tigger had the most wonderful spirit. I knew that it was basically hospice care for a cat, but there was something about him.

This shelter cares so much about the pets being in a home environment, it is much better than being in a cage or a small room. Of course, this shelter believes that every animal has a right to life, unlike the shelter down the road, that has to make space for new additions.

I have a friend who also did foster care for the local human society. She took in a new mama with six puppies. The original owners had been evicted, so they needed a temporary sanctuary.

And each deserves as much outrage and outcry as the Vick situation does/has gotten.

home page yesterday. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20593001/from/RS.3/


I wrote and donated, and this is what I received back:

Lori,
Thank you for your wish to help us. The paypal link through the web site
goes directly to out account but if you would like you can send a check to
Wyoming County SPCA, 808 Rt 98, PO Box 151, Attica, NY 14011.
Ifyou can, please tell your friends and family about the plight of our
animlas. We need a miracle. Thank you again.
Marcia Hudson
Friend of the Wyoming County SPCA


> This email came from your contact form on
> www.wcspca.net

and we donate to the humane society, aspca and best friends whenever we can. I personally have offered people to pay for the surgery of spaying or neutering their pets. NOTHING pisses me off more than an irresponsible pet owner. this stems from my ignorance growing up. I think back to all the animals we had that we did not spay or neuter due to stupidity. I can't change the past so I do my best to make things right now.

Kudos to California for passing the law. I wish Texas would do the same. so many stray animals out there its appalling.

and over the years have had many others . . . cats, too . . . I've also taken in several neglected kids when I worked for a specialized foster care outfit some years ago . . . I only wish that I had the capacity and the resources to do much, much more . . .

will, in the period of seven years, reproduce 500,000 more cats.


Please, please, please spay or neuter your pet. There are too many unwanted animals already.

Cause that's basically the only way to read his article... that's a little weird, isn't it?

and in fact covers a shelter fundraiser every year. But I know it's more fun to beat up on the media with sweeping statements.