Many of you think I'm "mean.'' Here's my point of view....

[redhen]

well...if i was a fire mans wife and my husband was injured in the line of duty...i'd be real mad...if the fire was set by an arsonist..done on purpose....yeah...its okay to be upset when someone you love gets hurt cause some wacko is setting fires.....same thing for shelter workers....its okay for them to vent..its human....and healthy also..when you see so much pain...and you cant stop it....Wendy..p.s...also..i hope the mods dont shut this down..as far as i can see..noone is breaking any rules yet....lets keep it that way....its okay to express feelings....wendy

 

[Guitartists]

There are no easy answers

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
Amen, sister(or brother)!

Now, THAT is a sentiment I can get behind. I, too, have noticed an alarming trend towards elevating animal welfare over human's and its sort of scarey. I don't like to see animals suffer, either, and I also am very disenchanted with the average human, but I also have a pretty grounded belief system that commands that we love one another as we love ourselves. Its pretty self-explanatory...if you would like to be afforded compassion, then have some compassion on those around you. Didn't mean to bring religion in to it, but it is the code by which a lot of us live.

Nowhere does it say love animals as you love yourself. It does, however, say that man was given dominion over the animals of the Earth. The Hebrew translation leans more towards "responsibility for, and authority over" the animals. If everyone were to take all these words to heart, there would be little suffering in the world caused by man. So....compassion for humans and animals alike, but if I had to choose, I'll go with the "command" portion of those scriptures, thank you!

 

[Beekissed]

You know, if someone hadn't dumped off their dogs at the pound, I would never had wound up with the wonderful dogs that I have had in the past and the ones I now own. I thank God for the dogs he has allowed me to have and care for and it would never have been possible to have met such great animals if someone hadn't "dumped them off" at the pound. I like thinking that God allowed this amazing event just to enrich my life and to help me give and receive love, as I have so much to give. I would rather it had been foster children, but until that can happen, the dogs are a wonderful addition to our lives.

A big thanks to all the people who gave their dogs a second chance by "dumping" them at the pound! They have lived lives of love, comfort and ease at our house and will continue to do so as long as I can make it so.

 

[ruth]

My heart goes out to all who work at animal shelters. It is a job I could not do and I thank you for doing what many others also could not do but someone MUST do. I'm sure there are people who are just trying to get rid of the pet for ridiculous reasons as well as people who are having to make a heart wrenching decision that they believe is best for their pet.

I have taken in, kept, raised and loved every stray that ever found it's way to me. I have also tried several times to adopt dogs or cats from the local "no kill" shelter or rescue groups only to be TURNED DOWN. I'm serious.

I was married for 17 years to a man who hated cats, and I loved cats, so we had no cat. After my divorce I went to our local "no kill" shelter and picked out a cat. I had to fill out the paper work and was told I would be notified the next day. The next day I was called and told I did not qualify and was being turned down. I thought "this is a joke - I work from home - live in a mansion - make a six figure income - love pets as do my teenage kids...what possible reason could I be turned down?" Reason given: my dog was past due on it's parvo shot. They had called my vet and asked about my two dogs' vet treatment. One of the dogs was a stray we took in as a puppy that had been exposed to parvo and all of it's littermates had died. We rescued the one survivor, gave it Parvo treatments and shots for a couple of years and then on advice of vet, discontinued them since they were not legally required and the vet felt the dog was out of any danger zone. I went to talk to vet, who got so mad at shelter, he called his staff in, in front of me, and told them to never, ever give out information again. He said that shelter is a mult-million dollar fund raiser that never adopts out pets and won't take in strays.

I thought it was a one of a kind story till I started dating a millionaire who lived in another state - far away. We got to talking one day about pets and turns out he too had been denied adoption of a dog from his local shelter. Reason given - he checked "yes" by the box that asked "Will this dog ever be left home alone during the day for any reason?" Again, millionaire, great kids, great house, fenced yard - denied because the dog would be left alone while he was at work or kids at school.

Yet another story - last year I decided I wanted another German Shepherd. I have had my GSD for 5 years and wanted a companion. I looked online and found three rescue groups and I filled out their forms and answered all their questions, including ones like: "Tell us everything you know about this breed." I never heard back from a singe one - not one answered my e-mails or replied to my adoption requests.

Final story - same animal shelter in town. Story on news they had rescued 80 small dogs from horrible conditions and were looking for homes. I go down there - seems the newest policy is you don't get to look at any animals. You have to fill out the adoption forms which include credit information, bank info, vet info, work info, etc. Then if you are approved you can come back and get what's available that day only. No one is allowed to view animals available till after approval process which includes credit check. I opted not to even bother applying.

The reason for these stories is that I am not alone in this experience. I have talked to others that have encountered the same thing. If shelters and rescue groups really wanted to find good homes for the pets and open up a space for the next needy animal, they would stop being so ridiculously picky and seemingly looking for a reason to turn someone down and start looking for reasons to approve someone. It's too sad the many animals that are put down when there are people who would like to take them but never seem to be good enough.

Had another friend who couldn't get a cat because she has hers declawed since they live inside and she doesn't like them scratching furniture. Granted, I don't like declawing a cat either but if it's that or put it to death - adopt it out to someone who wants an indoor declawed cat. This same friend had three cats that each lived indoors, declawed, for over 28 years. After they died she went to local shelter and was told she didn't qualify because of the declawing issue.

I know these stories don't represent all shelters, pounds, rescue groups but they do represent the hoity toity ones in a lot of towns today.

 

[Beekissed]

I know these stories don't represent all shelters, pounds, rescue groups but they do represent the hoity toity ones in a lot of towns today.

Not just the hoity-toity ones. I have heard countless stories of the same thing. I, too, was turned down for adoption of a dog. They said I would have to have a 6 ft. fence around my 1/2 acre lot to be able to adopt him. Who has 6 ft. fences? Ostrich farmers? I had an wireless electric containment system that my other dog was using just fine.

My friend couldn't adopt a beagle because she didn't plan to "keep him inside"! Now, SHE had a 6 ft. fence around her back yard! She is very wealthy also and would have given that little dog a wonderful home, as would have I.

Seems to me that they aren't too anxious to give these animals good homes but would love to play the martyr about all the good animals needing homes, so as to rustle up a little more "funding" from the local bleeding hearts.

Now, I finally got to adopt a couple of dogs over the years from folks who HAD been approved for adoption and had promptly abandoned those animals to their fate in the big bad world....and they landed in my home. So, I guess those shelters are doing their jobs....in a round about, messed up way, by letting the undesirable populace have animals that good pet owners have to eventually rescue, and take home to love! Thanks for adopting out animals to the wrong sort, Humane Society! Otherwise, I would have never been able to obtain some of your "dumped' off dogs. One, the owners got him from the pound, but no longer wanted to give him water because he "drank too much." I asked them if I could take him in and they sold him to me for a carton of cigs. The other one, adopted from the pound, stayed tied to a 5 ft. chain for a year, until her owners moved away and left her. The neighbors were slipping up there to feed and water her. I got a call and she got a home. Best dogs I ever owned. They wouldn't have had to go through all that misery if the HS had just adopted them out to the proper people in the first place.

These are not isolated stories! See the thread about "Hoarders" and you can read more heart-rending choices made by the Humane Society.

There are two sides to every coin, people, so don't bother to try to paint a "poor pitiful me" story about the Humane Society. I've seen just how they work and its counterproductive! I guess if you adopt out all the animals to good homes, there wouldn't be any more need for extra funding and donations, now would there?​

 

[kstaven]

Refer to the rules of the forum folks and you will know why this thread was closed.