I’ve had a dog in my life since the day I was born. Not the same dog, mind you, or I’d be on Letterman right now instead of posting, but a steady stream of lovable pups have rotated their way into (but never out of) my heart for as long as my heart has been beating. That should make clear why researching the post that follows was terribly painful but of tremendous significance to me. All I had to see was the number 4,000,000/yr and there was no stopping me.
Four million per year. What does that number mean? That’s the conservative estimate of unwanted dogs put to death in the US alone every year. Four million. It just breaks my heart to think of that and it makes it tough to narrow my focus in this post. Any experienced writer will tell you to stay on topic. Pick a focus and stick with it or risk losing your message (or your reader) entirely. But there’s no one solution to this heartbreaking problem so I’m going to beg you to stay with me while I touch on some things you can do to make a difference, show your kindness and save a life. To entice you to read on, I want you to consider what 4 Million equates to with something we’re all familiar with… a dollar bill. Just how tall would a stack of 4 million dollars be?
A single stack (one on top of the other, not end to end) of 4 million $1 bills would be roughly the same height as were you to stack two Empire State buildings on top of one another. Think about that. Try to picture what 4 million tail-wagging pups put to death every year really means. So what can you do to help?
- Adopt - you’ll find every bit as much love, loyalty, fun and affection in an adopted dog as you would in a purchased pup. There’s no reason to buy a dog from a breeder or puppy mill when so many homeless animals are literally dying for want of a kind family. Visit your local animal shelter and please consider special-needs cases such as old, blind or hearing-impaired dogs who are no less capable of being a wonderful member of your household. Please start your search for a loving pet at a kill shelter. These dogs are living on borrowed time. To get a feeling for just how limited their time is, consider visiting Dogs in Danger Remember, a dog is dying every 9 seconds.
- Breed-Schmeed - many people avoid adoption because they are designer focused. They want a specific breed. If you’re that hung up on a particular breed for legitimate (working dog) or aesthetic (pugs are so ugly they’re cute) reasons, please make a breeder-purchased pet your absolute last option. Whatever breed you have your heart set on, there is probably a rescue group out there catering specifically to your needs. Start your search there before you even consider breeders.
- Educate yourself - know what you’re getting into before you get a dog. The idea of a loving pet is enticing but so many bring home Fido only to discover they are simply not equipped for the responsibility of pet ownership. Owning a dog is not unlike having a fairly independent child. Once out of the puppy stage they can do well alone for a few hours while you’re at work but be prepared to meet their walking, feeding and attention needs at the end of your busy day. Your dog will also be a constant consideration in your life. Have to walk pup before going to work. Can’t go out for drinks until the pup is walked after work. Have to make arrangements for the pup before going on vacation. And if you go for a designer dog, be prepared for the extra work required such as cleaning the ears of infection-prone floppy eared dogs and the folds on squished pooches such as Pugs. You get the point. A dog is a family member. If you can’t devote the time to a dog, be honest with yourself and consider setting up a fish bowl so you don’t contribute another doomed soul to the kill-tally.
- Never Gift - much like kindness, dogs are the gift that keeps on giving. Unfortunately, some people don’t like such persistant gifts. Never…NEVER…give a dog as a gift unless you are fully prepared to accept that dog into your own life if the receiver doesn’t, can’t or won’t take care of it. There is a surge of additions at the shelter every year around traditional gift-giving holidays from people who received a pet as a gift and then decided it was too much work.
- Donate - time or money, either will be of benefit to a local rescue near you. You have only to Google “animal rescue” or “dog rescue” or “
rescue” to find dozens of local options desperate for whatever help you can offer. Popular and painless-to-give options you can probably gather up right now include blankets and towels. - SPAY AND NEUTER - if everybody simply took the time to spay and neuter their pets it would result in a tremendous reduction in the number of animals put to death every year. Your precious pooch just needs to slip out under the fence once in amorous pursuit of the cute Collie in the yard next door to contribute 6-10 (average size of a litter of pups) new and innocent puppies to the death list at the pound.
Do your part and be kind to an animal and save a life today. In recognition of her kindness and constant effort to educate current and prospective dog owners on the merits of adoption, I’d like to single out Kathy over at http://www.bunnyroobeagle.com/. Her site is great fun, full of neat pet facts and dog treat recipes but it is her ongoing effort to implore the public to adopt that earns her special mention in today’s post. Thanks, Kathy! Keep up the good work!
