We humans, every single one of us.


How?! Not every single one of us has abused animals.

The apathetic are pathetic, is the saying.

If you are not taking action to help, you are part of the problem.

It is not just about abusing animals. It means that if not every single one of your dogs or cats is not spayed or neutered, you are responsible. If you have ever had an "Oops!" litter, you are responsible. If you buy from pet stores that sell puppies, you are responsible. If you have ever bought from a backyard breeder or pupppy mill, you are responsible. If you have ever encouraged someone to breed dogs or cats, you are responsible. If you ignore the problem, you are responsible.

We have the responsibility to care for the animals that we have authority over. We are supposedly the more superior being. We have the responsibility. We have the obligation.


You are the Answer
Good Morning, may we help you, is how we start our day.
"You won't kill them?" are the first words you say.

They're female, mostly female, nine in this litter,
I gritted my teeth trying not to sound bitter.

You bring LIFE to us and briskly come in.
The novelty now faded along with your whim.

You smile as you offer what to you seems a present.
We smile right back and try to be pleasant.

Your gift is the third since our office just opened.
We're your last resort - but you were just hoping.

For a miracle - nine people to rush in
And choose each pup for a friend.

Our heart has grown heavy - our soul quite sad
You thought we would thank you and surely be glad.

Glad to relieve your careless mistake.
To appear in six months for another retake?

We're a shelter, a place for unwanted animals
Where everyone loses and so many gamble

Humane workers are desperate, weary, forlorn
Concerned for those that should never be born.

This is not what we wanted to be.
Please understand - don't you see? Won't you see?

The hurt that's inside because we do care.
About those nine pups you have over there.

Bouncy and cuddly, cute - so much more,
But you only shrug as you walk out the door.

You left them for us to make the decision
Which ones will die or go right on living.

Only one of of ten will be given a home
And for how long a time will she belong

To a family who chooses, for whatever reason,
To return her to us when she is in season.

History repeats, for she will have been bred.
She trembles it seems with fear and with dread.

The face of each worker can plainly be read,
Because they know she will will be dead.

We feel that we love her more than you,
There are so many, what else can we do?

You point your finger and say, "Oh the shame.
You put them to sleep, you are to blame."

Little do you realize how we try not to hate you.
And strive with much effort to educate you.

You didn't stay 'til the end to see us weep
When we had to take them and put them "to sleep".

Euthanasia - a kind death, by definition.
Less birth would be kind, is our declaration

But you go on in your merry ole way,
Forgetting too soon and without much delay

That you cause the problem - You are the SOURCE.
You just won't admit it, of course.

You give our best for the animals and for you
Although the thank-yous are sparse and quite few.

Love and concern carry us through every day
We need your help There must be a better way!

Its very sad!

And yes, thats very true!

There's another saying. "Think it's not a problem? Ask me what I've seen as a shelter worker."

Until you are in my shoes, the numbers may be devestating, but when you can put a furry face and a name with every single number, then you know the pain. And let me tell you, I don't forget either their face or their name. They are all engraved into my heart and poured out in tears.

yes.
I respect your strong beliefs and i feel the same tbh.

Hey, PETA folks! While you lament about some sick kitten, people are slaughtered in Darfur! While you whine about an old dog, people starve to death! While you complain about strays, people are forced to live on the streets, with no home! While you call anyone who disrespects your agenda heartless, people are oppresed by tyranist goverments!

Who's the heartless and uncaring one here?

there's nothing we can do that'll make a difference, animals will still reproduce and we will still be faced with the choice of kil them or let them suffer. i say kill them, and while i could never do it, it is the right thing to do.

 Cold is God's way of telling us to burn more catholics.

Uhm, I'm NOT Peta. I very very strongly dislike Peta. They are extremists and do little to help animals. I have nothing to do with them.

Whoever said I don't care about Darfur? You've made a very incorrect assumption. And you know what assuming does.

WRONG!

It is called spaying and neutering. It is called educating yourself and not buying from bad breeders if you must buy a puppy or kitten at all. It is called choosing to save a life from a shelter or rescue. ALL These things would make a HUGE difference if we could educate more people.

If you could never do it, how dare you ask an animal lover, to do it over and over and over? To hold that dying animal in their arms shaking from sobbing so hard over another animal lost that didn't need to be? If you could never do it, how could you even begin to imagine a compassionate person could?

Every animal spayed. Every litter prevented. THAT WOULD make every bit of a difference. How would I know? Because I've seen it with my own eyes. Because I am a shelter worker, I am an animal lover, my family was once breeders who are now educated and have every one of our animals spayed and neutered. I've seen my own family educated and no longer producing animals, and I've continued to educate great numbers and encourage them to spay and nueter. I know it makes a difference, and you should too. To sit there and say it doesn't is a lie and you have just become part of the problem.

If it makes You only the slightest bit happier, My two beautiful white himalayan persians were taken from the pound. There are alot of stray cats over here, skinny little buggars that get by on discarded trash. We had one who used to come to out door and we would feed it etc, it had a litter of kittens and a sister too. -- Unfortunately, most of the kittens died, then mother got hit by a car. We didn't ever take it to the 'pound' though because it was likely it would just get killed anyway...

I have two cats one from a shelter and one from flee market some one was giving her away. i love them both to death and they're both fixed. but even if everyone has thier pets fixed we can't fix all the stays out there and they'll keep breeding and the population will keep growing and we will eventualy have to kill some, unless ofcource you think it's more humane for them to rot in a cage until they die

 Cold is God's way of telling us to burn more catholics.

Rawiri and Darth, good for you.

Actually Darth, there are SNR programs. Spay-nueter-release. Many very large cities have this. Instead of killing hundreds of cats, they capture strays, spay and nueter them all, and then just release them again. Might not be able to give them all homes, but they at least won't be able to reproduce any longer and continue to add to the problem.

I'm not so childish and naive to believe there will never be unwanted animals. It'sa nice thing to wish for, but it is unrealistic. However, I do want and will continue to strive for LESS.