!!INFO!! For Pet Owners and Animal Lovers

[duroz]

I'm going to start with a sad true story, one that is short but DOES have a happy ending, and then I have some links for info at least some people may find interesting and also useful.

I cry EVERY time I read this, like I am right now, it's so sad thinking about what Scrap was thinking and feeling.

This was written by a guy who worked with shelter animals; He wrote this "to" the owner of Scrap the dog, and posted it online, to hoping make an impression on other pet owners.

He leads into the "letter" with this:
One day 5 years ago right around Christmas I was at our local kill shelter pulling a dog for our rescue. As I stood there I watched while a man was turning in his dog and saw how upset the dog was when he left. I was fairly new to rescue then. I went home and wrote this dog's story and posted to CL Pets. Because a lot of people there do not think twice about their animals and then there are a few that do. Here it is. (By the way Scrap was adopted!)

OK get the kleenex:

"I saw you with Scrap today.
You were smiling, and for a while Scrap was sitting next to you, with his tail wagging.

You were standing in front of the intake counter at Jacksonville Animal Control.
You were explaining that you couldn't keep him because he chewed through a $5.00 dollar telephone cord.
I heard the lady tell you that they take in at least 100 dogs a day, and that Scrap would most likely be euthanized, because he is a bigger dog.

You were still smiling.

Scrap was still looking up at you, with his tail wagging, wondering if the new adventure with you was going to involve some new dog friends that he could hear frantically barking all over the building.

The lady asked if you wanted his collar and his leash.
You took them off as the lady put on his new, plastic Animal Control ID collar, and an Animal Control leash.

Scrap was still a good boy, he was still wagging his tail.

As you walked out the door, you were still smiling.

When you walked out the door, Scrap stopped smiling.

As he was tied up, Scrap's tail stopped wagging and went between his legs, and he started crying.
Scrap kept trying to get to you long after you were gone.

The lady at Animal Control felt bad for him, and tried to give him a treat.
All Scrap wanted was to be with you, though, so he just kept crying.

The Animal Control Officer came to get him, and Scrap left with him - his tail between his legs, and his head down.

Scrap knew then that you were leaving him at that place, and you weren't coming back.


Scrap has seven days until he dies;
Scrap probably won't live until Christmas."

OK - remember everybody : Scrap WAS adopted!!!
Here is a link to a webpage where you can see how your state's senators and representatives vote/voted on animal rights issues:
http://www.hslf.org/pdfs/2011-Humane-Scorecard-Final.PDF

Here is a link to a webpage where you can see the ROLL CALL vote on the dog-fighting amendment that was just passed (making it a federal crime to attend a dogfight or cockfight, and a felony to bring a child to an animal fight):
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=2&vote=00154

Here is the website where you can go to find much more information on all animal rights issues:
http://www.hslf.org/  

And last, if you can handle reading this one - It's a situation that should be stopped. A currently used federal trap that is an EXTREMELY cruel trap, not only to the wild animals they CLAIM they need to use these terrible traps on, but also to people's pets that are getting caught in them.
People need to push for these traps to be taken out of use:
http://hslf.typepad.com/political_animal/2012/02/another-pet-snared-in-cruel-federal-trap.html

[jwallbank]

This is a very moving story!! I have animals and both my children do also, although they are grown now. It really erks me for people to be so Cavalier about getting animals. They want them, then a couple of months later they don't. People forget that Pets are Living beings, if you don't want to put in the effort in Raising them, yes they are like children, Don' get them and then a few months later get rid of them. What if your parent's did that to you!! I have had 5 dogs over my life, only one at a time and they have given the family much joy, and we kept all but one until they passed. We had to put one down because she went after everyone in the house, we even kept her for about 6 months trying to resolve the problem but, she just got more and more agressive. People, in some cases just want things and when it becomes a problem, get rid of the thing. It is a shame we have come to that!!

[duroz]

This is a very moving story!! I have animals and both my children do also, although they are grown now. It really erks me for people to be so Cavalier about getting animals. They want them, then a couple of months later they don't. People forget that Pets are Living beings, if you don't want to put in the effort in Raising them, yes they are like children, Don' get them and then a few months later get rid of them. What if your parent's did that to you!! I have had 5 dogs over my life, only one at a time and they have given the family much joy, and we kept all but one until they passed. We had to put one down because she went after everyone in the house, we even kept her for about 6 months trying to resolve the problem but, she just got more and more agressive. People, in some cases just want things and when it becomes a problem, get rid of the thing. It is a shame we have come to that!! 

Yes I totally agree with you on this.....we have gotten quite a few new "furkids" added to our family over the years JUST for this reason.....somebody was "tired" of the pet, and was ready to dispose of it. (Sometimes they really didn't care much HOW they disposed of them either)