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By Valerie Macys
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In spite of the beauty and joy that Spring can bring to people, without question, it can and does bring misery to too many animals. I am hoping that readers will help me think of ways to spread the word and make a difference now.
When spring and summer come upon us, the animal population proliferates. Anyone who works in any shelter or with any rescue organization should be able to reveal that warm weather brings in an enormous amount of homeless and needy animals. Many of these animals are pregnant females and/or puppies and kittens that are dead on arrival at most shelters, simply for having the misfortune of being with young or one of the young. The few who are lucky enough to make it into rescues quickly fill them to capacity, leaving no room for the countless others.
Shelters begin to burst at their seams, and stone-faced staff members are subsequently forced to euthanize more animals more frequently. Many die before they have even lived. This is a tragedy that we should not continue to tolerate. We are supposed to be an enlightened, educated generation. There is simply no excuse for this atrocity.
The Cocker Spaniel Adoption Center, Inc. (CSAC) is well acquainted with these sad experiences. Even though our animals are safe from harm, the large number of them (combined with the fact that adoptions are down at this time of year, and give-ups are on the rise) makes it very difficult -- if not impossible -- to rescue as many animals as we need to rescue. We find ourselves turning people away, asking them to please wait until we have room so we are able to take emergency cases from local shelters. Even then, we are over-extended. The problem of pet overpopulation is so overwhelming, we can't help but think that we will never be able to manage it. The lack of solution is harder to rationalize because there are things that people can do to help if we really want to put a permanent stop to this tragedy. Without question, people are responsible for it. The animals are innocent, but sadly, they must pay the price.
Too many people give up their pets in the summertime. It seems that many would rather take their vacations without having to board their animals or worry about animal sitters. It is easier to let them go outdoors to fend for themselves or to dump them at shelters. Sometimes these animals are left in the care of dubious people because no one wants to take the time to find responsible care-givers. In these events, there is little possibility for survival for these unfortunate creatures -- even if they are taken into shelters -- because there are too many of them.
Please consider your pets before you plan summer vacations. And please, don't just get a dog or cat for the summer. Strangely enough, there are people who pick up dogs and/or cats to join them in their summer homes, and then they leave them when the time comes to go back home. More dogs and cats wander, shell-shocked, around abandoned vacation areas. These animals mate and give birth to more, and so the problem escalates, and the population explodes. These animals suffer untold torments from lack of shelter, food, and water. Many die from exposure, starvation, dehydration, disease, being hit by vehicles, or at the hands of brutal human beings. The situation they face is beyond pathetic; it is criminal.
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There are many good and affordable boarding facilities available if you are going away from home. Feel free to contact the Cocker Spaniel Adoption Center or your local shelter for information on these places. If you choose to leave your pets in the care of someone else, please make certain that you trust that person to treat your animals as you would. They should be treated as part of your family because that is what they are.
The most important thing that people need to do for their pets is to spay and/or neuter them. There is a program called SNAP (Spay/Neuter All Pets) that provides certificates for spaying and neutering at very low prices. The Cocker Spaniel Adoption Center and your local shelter can put you in touch with SNAP. It is a very bad and irresponsible idea to allow your animal to breed just because the weather is warm, and it seems like a nice time to have puppies or kittens running around. All you have to do is check your local paper and see how many puppies and kittens are being sold or given away every single day. There is no possibility that all of these animals will find loving homes. Sooner or later, far too many will be cast off for the sake of convenience. Many will be mistreated and neglected. Unfortunately, these things usually happen sooner. We see the unfortunate fallout of such treatment at our Center every single day.
Remember that cute puppies and kittens are a lot of work and require an enormous responsibility from their owners. They also grow up and lose their charming baby faces. Many dogs "get big." It is important to look at the adults before getting puppies. Can your home accomodate larger dogs? Too many people do not think about these things, and again, the animals pay the price.
Animals are not pairs of shoes that can be cast off at will. They are living, breathing, sentient creatures who know and feel pain, anxiety, fear, and suffering. We have seen the haunting, pleading eyes behind the shelter kennel bars. We have watched the wagging, begging tails, and witnessed the bowed heads of despair, knowing all the while that we cannot save all of them, no matter how much we wish we could. It is all so unnecessary. Most of these animals are wonderful, special, and highly adoptable. How can people just throw them away?
Anyone interested in getting a pet must recognize the commitment involved. Anyone wanting to give one up should be made aware of the terrible reality that most of the animals surrendered to shelters never leave them alive. People may tell themselves that the shelters will find good homes for their pets, but when the shelters are overwhelmed with hundreds of animals a day, particularly during the warm season, this is an impossible task.
If you truly cannot keep your pet, please take the time to find a good, loving home for him or her. These homes are out there, but it may take time to find them. Work with local rescues, but do not abandon your pets to the elements, and do not think that leaving them in shelters in any way gives them a fighting chance for survival. Ask your local shelters for their statistics behind the animals brought in. How many are euthanized per day, per week, per month? The answers will shock and sicken even the hardest of hearts.
Please make suitable arrangements for your pets before taking any vacation. Have your pets spayed and/or neutered. Do not breed more animals so that more are born into a world of misery. And if you must give up your pet, take the time to do so responsibly, to ensure that the animal will have the life that he or she truly deserves.
These are the only acceptable ways to treat man and woman's best friends. Our pets are the most loyal and loving and forgiving of God's creatures. This is an amazing fact, given how many of them are betrayed by humans they should have been able to trust.
It is long past time for people to repay the debt we owe them. We must all work together to achieve this end.
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Dr. Valerie Macys All Rights Reserved
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