Here's an incredible letter I want to share...you may need some tissues! –Kim
An Open Letter from a Shelter Manager
December 16, 2008
I think our society needs a huge "Wake-up" call. As a shelter manager, I am going to share a little insight with you...a view from the inside, if you will.
First off, you breeders/sellers should be made to work in the "back" of an animal shelter for just one day. Maybe if you saw the life drain from a few sad, lost, confused eyes, you would change your mind about breeding and selling to people you don't even know.
That puppy you just sold will most likely end up in my shelter when it's not a cute little puppy anymore. So how would you feel if you knew that there's about a 90% chance that dog will never walk out of the shelter where it's going to be dumped? Purebred or not! About 50% of all of the dogs that are "owner surrenders" or "strays" that come into my shelter are purebred dogs.
The most common excuses I hear are: "We are moving and we can't take our dog (or cat)." Really? Where are you moving that doesn't allow pets? Or they say: "The dog got bigger than we thought it would." How big did you think a German Shepherd would get? "We don't have time for her." Really? I work a 10-12 hour day and still have time for my 6 dogs! "She's tearing up our yard." How about making her a part of your family? They always tell me: "We just don't want to have to stress about finding a place for her; we know she'll get adopted, she's a good dog."
Odds are your pet won't get adopted, and how stressful do you think being in a shelter is? Well, let me tell you! Your pet has 72 hours to find a new family from the moment you drop it off. Sometimes, a little longer if the shelter isn't full and your dog manages to stay completely healthy. If it sniffles, it dies. Your pet will be confined to a small run/kennel in a room with about 25 other barking or crying animals. It will have to relieve itself where it eats and sleeps. It will be depressed and it will cry constantly for the family that abandoned it.
If your pet is lucky, I will have enough volunteers in that day to take him/her for a walk. If I don't, your pet won't get any attention besides having a bowl of food slid under the kennel door and the waste sprayed out of its pen with a high-powered hose. If your dog is big, black or any of the "Bully" breeds (pit bull, rottie, mastiff, etc.), it was pretty much dead when you walked it through the front door. Those dogs just don't get adopted. It doesn't matter how "sweet" or "well behaved" they are.
If your dog doesn't get adopted within its 72 hours and the shelter is full, it will be destroyed. If the shelter isn't full and your dog is good enough and of a desirable enough breed, it may get a stay of execution, but not for long. Most dogs get very kennel protective after about a week and are destroyed for showing aggression. Even the sweetest dogs will turn in this environment. If your pet makes it over all of those hurdles, chances are it will get kennel cough or an upper respiratory infection and will be destroyed, because shelters just don't have the funds to pay for even a $100 treatment.
Here's a little Euthanasia 101 for those of you that have never witnessed a perfectly healthy, scared animal being "put-down."
First, your pet will be taken from its kennel on a leash. They always look like they think they are going for a walk happy, wagging their tails...until they get to "The Room." Every one of them freaks out and puts on the brakes when we get to the door. It must smell like death or they can feel the sad souls that are left in there – it's strange, but it happens with every one of them.
Your dog or cat will be restrained, held down by 1 or 2 vet techs depending on the size and how freaked out they are. Then a euthanasia tech or a vet will start the process. They will find a vein in the front leg and inject a lethal dose of the "pink stuff". Hopefully your pet doesn't panic from being restrained and jerk. I've seen the needles tear out of a leg and been covered with the resulting blood and been deafened by the yelps and screams. They all don't just "go to sleep," sometimes they spasm for a while, gasp for air and defecate on themselves.
When it all ends, your pet's corpse will be stacked like firewood in a large freezer in the back with all of the other animals that were killed, waiting to be picked up like garbage. What happens next? Cremated? Taken to the dump? Rendered into pet food? You'll never know and it probably won't even cross your mind. It was just an animal and you can always buy another one, right?
I hope that you are bawling your eyes out and can't get the pictures out of your head that I deal with everyday on the way home from work.
I hate my job; I hate that it exists and I hate that it will always be there, unless you make some changes and realize that the lives you are affecting go much farther than the pets you dump at a shelter.
Between 9 and 11 MILLION animals die every year in shelters, and only you can stop it. I do my best to save every life I can, but rescues are always full, and there are more animals coming in everyday than there are homes.
My point to all of this: DON'T BREED OR BUY WHILE SHELTER PETS DIE!
Hate me if you want to. The truth hurts and reality is what it is. I just hope I maybe changed one person's mind about breeding their dog, taking their loving pet to a shelter or buying a dog. I hope that someone will walk into my shelter and say: "I saw this and it made me want to adopt." THAT WOULD MAKE IT WORTH IT!
Source: http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/aus/960931196.html
Here's a great collection of facts that I thought I would pass on...hope you find them interesting! –Kim
Interesting Dog Facts - Part 1
A puppy's eyes do not open until it is 10 to 15 days old. Its vision is usually not complete until it is about four weeks old.
At birth, puppies are deaf, blind and have almost no sense of smell. They stay near their mother and siblings because of the warmth.
Puppies should remain with their mother until they are at least eight weeks old. During this time, she will teach them not to bite and how to get along with other dogs.
Dogs are submissive to those they feel have higher pack status.
Train your dog from day one, so she will think of you as the leader of the pack. Dogs instinctively want to earn the pack leader's approval.
The most confident puppy in a litter often makes the worst pet because he sees himself as the pack leader.
A dog can suffer from a poor self-image, just like humans. Bolster self-esteem with praise, affection and rewards.
To a young dog, exercise and play are the day's most important events. As a dog gets older, he lives for dinner time.
Even after your dog is old enough to be fed only once a day, he should be given a morning snack just to calm his rumbling tummy.
Family dogs who growl when family members are roughhousing aren't upset, they're just asking to become part of the game.
Give your new puppy its own sleeping den, even a simple cardboard box will do; this will make her feel more secure.
Ignore your new puppy's whining when you first isolate it for sleeping. If you don't you will only encourage it to whine more.
Sign up your dog for obedience school.
The most important thing you can teach your dog is to sit and stay on command. Anytime you are having behavioral problems with your dog, begin your training by reteaching him to sit and stay.
The time to start teaching your dog to sit and stay is the day you bring her home.
Don't attempt to teach your dog anything else until he will sit and stay on command for at least one minute.
When teaching a puppy to come, begin by getting down to his level so he will not be encouraged to jump up on you.
A dog needs to work off excess energy every day.
Mixed-breed dogs usually have behavioral traits similar to the breed they most resemble in appearance.
When a small dog is aggressive toward people, don't pick him up. This only reinforces the behavior since he will see it as a reward.
Teach your dog to play catch.
Anyone can buy a dog, but it takes a kind owner to set its tail wagging.
Although a dog might be jealous of a new puppy in the beginning, this usually passes quickly since dogs are social animals.
Dogs become loyal, not because you feed them, but because of the companionship you give them.
Give your small or short-haired dog a sweater for winter walks.
Most dogs don't like to be left alone, so they howl. Leave the radio or television on to keep your dog company when you are away.
Dogs have twice as many muscles for moving their ears as people.
Housebreaking a puppy is just like toilet-training a child. First, you learn to recognize the signs; then, you react every time you see them.
Man could learn much from his dog: to be a true friend, to be faithful and to appreciate those who love him.
When a puppy is removed from its mother, don't make it spend the first night alone. Its loss of family is enough for one night.
As soon as your new pet is comfortable with its new home, move it to the location where you will want it to sleep for its lifetime.
A dog's nose is not just used for smelling, but also to keep him cool. That's why a dog pants. The longer the dog's nose, the better his cooling system works.
Dogs that chase cars have learned that cars run away. This behavior is reinforced each time he chases one away.
Teach your dog to fetch.
Never wake a sleeping dog by poking or shaking it.
Dogs are perfect companions. They never quarrel, fuss or fight with you, and they listen with great interest any time you speak in their direction.
A dog's smile runs from the depth of his eyes to the tip of his tail.
If you're finding it difficult to teach your dog to catch a ball, try tossing something soft like a knotted piece of fabric instead. Some dogs find softer items easier to catch.
Dogs love rituals and routines.
Anyone who says he works like a dog obviously doesn't own one.
Staring directly into the eyes of a strange dog may be interpreted as a challenge and may actually encourage the dog to bite you.
Dogs and cats turn in circles before lying down, because in the wild, this instinctive action turns long grass into a bed.
When walking your dog, put a few plastic bags in your pocket; they make great "scoopers." Slip one over your hand, pick up the pile, flip it inside out, tie and discard.
The average dog's mouth exerts 150 to 200 pounds of pressure per square inch. Some dogs can apply up to 450 pounds.
Puppies can't control their bladders overnight until they are at least four months old. Until then, cover the floor around the puppy's bed with newspapers.
Dogs are omnivorous. They need more than just meat to flourish.
People with more than one dog shouldn't try to treat them all as equals. Because pack position is important to a dog, this only encourages jealousy games.
All dog owners should buy a long-handled pooper-scooper. It makes keeping the yard clean a breeze.
Dogs chew up your underwear because it smells like you.
You don't have to put up with your dog destroying flower beds or digging up the yard; simply fence off a separate section just for him.
Always say your dog's name before you give a command.
One in every three US families owns one or more dogs.
Choke chains can be dangerous.
A one-year-old dog is physically as mature as a 15 year-old human.
Dogs' internal clocks are really magnificent. They know when it's time for you to arrive home, feed them, or go to bed if you are normally on a schedule.
Brush your dog 3 times a week in the spring, and you'll have a summer free from shedding.
If someone in your household is allergic to dogs, bathe your dog every week. He will shed less dry skin. You can also add a teaspoon of cooking oil to your dog's dinner.
The only problem with loving a dog is that they live for only a short time.
If your dog reacts anti-socially toward visitors, put her in another room until she calms down. When you let her out, ignore her. This forces your dog to go to the visitors to get their social activity.
When a dog bays at the moon, it is following a basic urge to call the pack together.
Rituals are a basic part of canine behavior. Greeting, feeding, hunting and sleeping all include social performances.
The burying of bones is part of a dog's instinctive feeding ritual; shaking things viciously is part of the hunting ritual.
Source: http://www.dogquotes.com/dogfacts.htm
Copyright © 2001-2008 Australian Media Pty LTD
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