I looked at all the caged animals in the shelter...the cast-offs of human society.
I saw in their eyes love and hope, fear and dread, sadness, and betrayal. And I was angry.
"God," I said, "this is terrible! Why don't you do something?"
God was silent for a moment, and then He spoke softly, "I have done something," he replied. "I created you."
-- Author Unknown
According to the ASPCA, approximately 5 million to 7 million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year, and approximately 3 million to 4 million are euthanized (60 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats). No, I am not anti-animal control but what I am is pro spay and neuter and pro adoption.
I've said MANY times that it is full at our Inn. We currently have three cats, all rescues, and two dogs, one rescued and one acquired from a reputable breeder. What I can tell you is, while I do not regret my choice to "buy" our rottweiler, I will never again support the breeding of animals while there are so many that have been disposed of. And, believe me when I say I am not judging you for your choice(s) but please educate yourself before you choose.
I've been closely watching a shelter in the northern section of Alabama. In the past few months, this shelter has gone from High Kill to Low Kill in status. The status change would not be possible without the persistance of an amazing staff and volunteers, as well as the community who have opened their hearts and their homes to foster the dogs in this overflowing shelter. It is not uncommon for this particular place to receive multiple litters of pups with their overbred mothers in the course of one day. Unlike our local shelter, this one is not 90% pit mixed. They have an astounding number of beautiful and sweet dogs, most of which resemble boxers and labs. The Alabama shelter reported eight euthanizations in the month of February. A far cry from where they were less than half a year ago. I applaud their efforts and check their site daily to see just how well they are doing. If only all shelters had people like this one.
I recently read that a shelter in Florida held a mass adoption at a local mall and completely emptied their kennels. All dogs found forever homes and escaped the fate of the gas chamber. Yes, you heard me right. The gas chamber. Alone, unloved, scared then dead.
My head told me time and time again that I had reached my max on how many creatures I was taking care of. My heart, apparently, did not get the memo. While I was doing my daily browsing of the adoptable list at the Alabama shelter, one particular pup weaved its way in and stayed in my thoughts. Great. Now I was conflicted.
I thought long and hard and gathered information. What the hell was I thinking? Another dog? No, no way. But, look at that face! And, she was in a kill shelter. She had been picked up on the street with two friends in tow and was now sleeping on a concrete floor with the potential of never knowing what it would be like to have a family. But, she's in Alabama! Just forget it. With a mug like that, she was bound to find a home. But I wanted her. I could not stop thinking about her and decided to dig a little deeper.
I quickly learned of the "underground railroad" for shelter dogs. There are people out there who have dedicated their lives to moving dogs from the south to the north. There are also Facebook pages for each state where you can hope to find someone to share in a leg of the journey. Thankfully, I found a transport that runs from the south and has a stop about two hours away. Sadly, this pup did not meet the requirements to board the transport and they only run that particular schedule once a month. By some stroke of luck, I found another transport that runs from Texas to Connecticut twice a month. Their next pick up in Alabama would be on the 12th of April. Her requirements had to be met by the last day of March or she would not be eligible.
Needless to say, one tireless worker at the shelter in Alabama made all the necessary arrangements to get this pup vetted and spayed by the end of March. She is currently residing with a foster, which is another must in order to make "the train".
So, in case you haven't guessed it, we have made the not so difficult decision to save a life. Yes, that puts us at three dogs. You don't have to agree or even like our choice but it was ours to make. If you feel the need to say, "You have HOW MANY dogs?!" or, "You're crazy!", don't be shocked when I ask you what you've done lately to make a difference. Once I stopped worrying about what other people would think, the choice was rather simple. By mid-April, we would have twelve muddy paws to clean up after and love.
Please stay tuned...in exactly one week, Joy(as is her Alabama name) will get onto a converted horse trailer with over fifty other dogs enroute to their furever homes. These lucky dogs will have a second chance at life and you can bet they will let their new people know just how grateful they are.
"Saving the life of one animal may not change the world, but the world will surely change for that one animal" -Unknown
And, one more quote just because I love it- "When you adopt a rescue, you help save two lives: the one you bring home and the one who takes its place."
If you need any information regarding animal transport, please don't hesitate to ask.
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