Last Friday I got an email from a fellow dog-lover at work. The original email sender told of her family's financial troubles, a lost home, and a new apartment that didn't accept dogs. She has two labs - a chocolate and a yellow. The two females are best friends, inseparable. But now the woman had to face two devastating prospects: first, the loss of her precious companions; and, second, the probability that the dogs will be separated from each other when left either at the shelter or rescue organization.
My heart broke - not just for the fate of these two pals, but for a family in distress, having to make tough choices. For half-a-second I had the urge to adopt the two - Cookie and Coco. Get real, I then told myself. My house is barely large enough for Gracie. The backyard is not particularly dog-friendly. It suffices for Gracie because most of her activity comes from me walking her or taking her to the park. Throw two more dogs in the mix and I would be in way over my head. Next consider the cost to keep one dog, much less two or three. Dog food, treats, vet bills, etc. And, for me, the ultimate decider - my cat, Mungo. He's been with me the longest. His health is questionable and costly. He tolerates Gracie, but two other bounding, over-enthused labs would be the final straw for him. I had a vision of him packing his bag and heading down the road.
So, I deleted the email about Cookie and Coco and said a silent prayer that a benefactor would come along to adopt, or foster, both of them until their owners can get back on their feet.
In the recent issues of Bark magazine, there's a short article about "soup kitchens" for pets. It profiles a shelter in Georgia that distributed 4000 pounds of dog food and other pet supplies to area owners. Our animal shelters are struggling to meet the need in our communities. My local shelter, the Willamette Humane Society, is closing one day a week in order to save money. This is loss of jobs and loss of a resource for people struggling to keep their families together. Pet food donations to my local shelter are used to support the AniMeals - a program affiliated with Meals on Wheels. While delivering nourishing food to area seniors, they also deliver pet food.
Between the email from Friday and the article in Bark, I'm reminded of my good fortune, my resources and that I need to be helping. We all have areas we are passionate about. Mine is dogs and the value they bring to a person and family's life. I can't even begin to imagine what I would do if faced with the need to abandon Gracie or Mungo for any reason. If I can help one pup or one cat stay with his family, it will be worth it.
I encourage you all to consider the needs of your community - be it person or animal - and act. I think we're in this economic mess for the long haul. But I hold out hope that by neighbor helping neighbor we will make it through.
My heart broke - not just for the fate of these two pals, but for a family in distress, having to make tough choices. For half-a-second I had the urge to adopt the two - Cookie and Coco. Get real, I then told myself. My house is barely large enough for Gracie. The backyard is not particularly dog-friendly. It suffices for Gracie because most of her activity comes from me walking her or taking her to the park. Throw two more dogs in the mix and I would be in way over my head. Next consider the cost to keep one dog, much less two or three. Dog food, treats, vet bills, etc. And, for me, the ultimate decider - my cat, Mungo. He's been with me the longest. His health is questionable and costly. He tolerates Gracie, but two other bounding, over-enthused labs would be the final straw for him. I had a vision of him packing his bag and heading down the road.
So, I deleted the email about Cookie and Coco and said a silent prayer that a benefactor would come along to adopt, or foster, both of them until their owners can get back on their feet.
In the recent issues of Bark magazine, there's a short article about "soup kitchens" for pets. It profiles a shelter in Georgia that distributed 4000 pounds of dog food and other pet supplies to area owners. Our animal shelters are struggling to meet the need in our communities. My local shelter, the Willamette Humane Society, is closing one day a week in order to save money. This is loss of jobs and loss of a resource for people struggling to keep their families together. Pet food donations to my local shelter are used to support the AniMeals - a program affiliated with Meals on Wheels. While delivering nourishing food to area seniors, they also deliver pet food.
Between the email from Friday and the article in Bark, I'm reminded of my good fortune, my resources and that I need to be helping. We all have areas we are passionate about. Mine is dogs and the value they bring to a person and family's life. I can't even begin to imagine what I would do if faced with the need to abandon Gracie or Mungo for any reason. If I can help one pup or one cat stay with his family, it will be worth it.
I encourage you all to consider the needs of your community - be it person or animal - and act. I think we're in this economic mess for the long haul. But I hold out hope that by neighbor helping neighbor we will make it through.
No comments:
Post a Comment