Tag Archives: Homeless Pets

Anti-adoption column is stunningly misguided

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A reader posted a link to a column that can best be described as misguided. I was stunned that anyone might come to the conclusions that writer Erin Auerbach reached after her experiences in adopting homeless dogs.

She leads off her Washington Post opinion piece from July of 2014 with a quote that goes to the heart of why we adopt homeless pets -“Why buy while those in shelters die?” And then she abandoned the statement of compassion completely.

Auerbach notes she adopted homeless dogs before writing the column. But somehow she came to a point where she switched her mentality.

She faced the pain of loss after a couple of her rescues faces illnesses and now it means her love will go to dogs purchased from breeders only  – not the very animals in need she previously helped.

She states – “Rescue and shelter dogs are a crapshoot.”

Unbelievable. The crapshoot for dogs comes as the result of horrible breeding practices that result in health and mental disorders. The crapshoot comes as a result of abuse or neglect. It is a subset of humans who created these problems.

But rather than speak out against those people, she calls the dogs a “crapshoot.”

I could better understand if someone was stung by the loss of a pet and stated they just cannot go through that pain anymore. But to go there and jump off track to say you have the love to give, just not to the rescue pets, is unimaginable to me.

She might not have wanted to come across this way, but her writing feels like she is blaming the dogs. The reality is the fault all lies with poor breeding practices or abuse or neglect or being taken from a mother too soon – all the fault of some humans.

She also misses an extraordinarily import principle. We don’t rescue dogs just to give something to ourselves. We rescue to save lives and offer compassion and love to animals in need.

To put it bluntly, Auerbach’s piece was irresponsible and she should produce an apology.

Thankfully, Lisa LaFontaine, the President and CEO of the Washington Humane Society wrote a column for Huffington Post to counter Auerbach’s claims.

LaFontaine is on the front lines of the problem and the effort to educate the public, while Auerbach has produced something that could steer people away from saving lives through adoption.

If everyone or even a substantial number of people took Auerbach’s advice it would lead to millions more homeless pets dying every year. It is bluntly irresponsible.

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic

Survey Says – We’re making progress on adoption and spay/neuter messages

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PetSmart Charities’ 2014 US Shelter Pet Report contains some interesting findings that show progress on the animal-welfare front. But it should be noted that one of the troubling aspects of the report explains that about 8 million homeless pets are entering US shelters every year and only half find homes.

Some of the other findings include the chart that shows the number of households with pets increased from 63 percent in 2011 to 81 percent three years later.

The percentage of those are choosing adoption over buying a new pet rose from 58 to 66 over the same 2011 to 2014 time frame. Only 28 percent purchased the most recent dog addition to the family.

The education level is rising within the American public, thankfully. But we can’t scale back on the effort. The more people who receive the message, the better.

One of the many great sections of the report notes “adoption is one of the safest ways to acquire a pet.” It is the safest means. Purchasing a pet is only safe if the person engages in significant research into the breeder and visits the breeding facility for a FULL tour.

But still, if you ask the right questions at the shelter or when dealing with a rescue group, you can be more assured that you’re getting the right pet for you.

And of course, spay/neuter is a key element in the battle to greatly reduce the number of pets dying in shelters. Clearly education is so important, as noted in the PetSmart report, where 85 percent underestimated the number of pets euthanized every year.

I found this statement from the report interesting: “In the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Association of Shelter Veterinarians says that spay/neuter surgery is safe for pets as young as 8 to 10 weeks old.”

I would tend to suggest going a bit older, if possible, just to be safe. But how about this stat – 86 percent of pet dogs and cats are spayed or neutered. Of course, we still have a bigger problem with roaming cats and dogs.

So the end result is, progress is being made and we’re moving in the right direction. But we still have a long road to travel and far more in the way of education is needed.

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic

After a series of positives from the Pope, he slips up on pet guardianship

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Pope Francis has been, for the most part, a positive force over the course of his term. But he slipped up in a major way with his recent comments in comparing couples having kids with couples who decide to limit their families to pets.

Time quoted the Pope as saying the following, in reference to couples deciding against having kids and instead having pets:

Then, in the end this marriage comes to old age in solitude, with the bitterness of loneliness.

The human population of the planet is exploding exponentially. While there is nothing wrong with having kids, there certainly is nothing wrong with deciding to not have kids. And what about the couples who try but are not able to have children? Suggesting either category of couples will end up bitter and lonely is just wrongheaded.

And certainly, the Pope should learn a bit more about how rewarding it is to adopt homeless pets. Saving lives and experiencing the love of the rescued pet is on the other end of the scale from bitterness and loneliness.

I don’t think the Pope thought this one through. Who am I to question the Pope? Well …. just someone who understands the love we can receive from animals – and children.

The Time piece wraps up with this:

In other words, all the effort you spend caring for your furry friends would be of better use if Fido or Fifi were children.

That’s a pretty short-sighted look at the subject, isn’t it. Does it have to be either or? I know there are a ton of families with kids AND rescued pets. And they have enough love to give to all of them.

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic

Sochi officials go stupid and evil route in wanting removal of stray dogs

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So officials in Sochi, Russia don’t want stray dogs roaming around during the Winter Olympics, so instead of holding those responsible for homelessness accountable for the problem, they are choosing to punish the victims.

We see this mentality all too often. Humans have created everything from feral cat colonies to homeless dogs and cat populations overall to an imbalance in wildlife populations.

And the only means some people can come up with – even in 2014 – is to torture and kill the victims. No thoughtfulness. No compassion. No discussion of options. They just want to kill.

They’ll poison. They’ll shoot. They’ll torture wolves in chasing them down from helicopters. We’re supposed to be the most advanced species on the planet, but officials like those in Sochi can only come up with the option of death. A 5-year-old could develop a better, more humane plan.

Thankfully, a Russian billionaire is funding an effort to save as many Sochi dogs as possible, through a local animal shelter. The New York Times article reports about 300 dogs each month were being killed in the town.

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic

A scary headline about adoption – but underneath is not so bad

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I ran across a troubling headline on the Raining Cats and Dogs blog on the Chicago Now website. The headline: “Why you should think twice before you adopt a dog.”

My first reactions included: ‘What? – They prefer you purchase a puppy?’ and ‘Oh no – they’re anti-adoption.’

But the body of the blog post offers more in the way of a primer for people who want to add a furry family member. And it seems to be an effort to make sure fewer homeless pets are returned to shelters, because some people might go into the decision with blinders on.

But the writer is not suggesting people go out and buy puppies.

It is important to note that people can be better assured of matching a dog or cat to their families if they adopt – as opposed to buying a pet. This is one myth often promoted by supporters of breeding and breeder groups.

But those who buy from a breeder before they’ve fully researched the operation and before they have taken a full tour of the breeding facility, are taking the risk of not knowing what the outcome will be. And those who purchase puppies who are younger than 12 weeks are making a risky choice. In both cases, it’s risky for the puppies and the breeding dogs.

So the best choice is to talk with the volunteers at local rescue groups, who have fostered or otherwise cared for the homeless pet you might want to adopt. Often, they have a clear picture of the pet’s behavior and health and how well they might get along with other pets and children.

In every way – including the fact that a life is being saved – adoption is the best option.

 

 

PACK MENTALITY BLOG: Compassion - teamed with Science and Logic