Humanity is not in a great place when it comes to kindness for all. Yes, there are many organizations and people who are kind to those in need and try with everything they have to help others. The laws of society are often against the kindhearted who after compassion burnout often agree that we can't save them all and spout the line about the greater good. The line about some have to be sacrificed for the greater good is BS. What it really means is that government and organizations can't figure out how to solve their problems. It is too hard for them to make any needed corrections in policy without coming up against people who do not want restrictions in their lives of any kind like say spay or neutering a pet or depriving themselves of one electronic gadget to donate money to a cause or volunteer their time for anything.
Our society has become so self involved with sexuality and success and images that many of those who say they love animals do nothing to stop the shelter killings. They turn away. What can be done? Well, it is easy for me to write that people are self centered or accept the status quo or don't care. What do I do? Not as much as I wish I could. I also think the world is a work in progress so perhaps we can strive for better not perfect.
I believe the first thing that needs to be done is for people to value life more than greed, to value some restrictions on choice (like MANDATORY SPAY and NEUTER (with caveats) rather than see dogs fighting as they are dragged to the kill room or sweet innocent animals licking the hand that injects the lethal fluid. Oprah showed a euth on her show years ago. The dog was wagging his tail so happy to be with people and getting attention.
What started me thinking about this was that dog I saw on Oprah and the series ANIMAL HOUSE I watched on Netflix. It was created by the North Shore Animal League in N.Y. They are a wonderful organization that saves many lives. They partner with animal control and take in dogs that are adoptable and some with medical or behaviour problems so the pets will have a second chance at life. They must take in dogs that can be adopted so dogs who show aggression or other anti social behaviours are destined to the kill room at AC unless as in one episode AC decided to search for a rescue for a Rottie and medical funds for a junkyard dog who had a rough life.
But there were two dogs who were heartbreakers and the man from animal control said they did not have the TIME or RESOURCES to help these dogs. He said one who was also picked up at the junkyard might turn around but would need a foster, training etc and they had neither so the dog and the Pitte were scheduled to be euthed. They showed the euth of the Pittie. He was on the table and the needle inserted. They did not show him die. He caused no problem. He walked easily to the room where he would be killed. He was a good boy.
So if there were resources and if people spayed and neutered dogs and cats, this stray Pittie who might have been dropped off at the junk yard by an irresponsible person might never have been taken to AC. He might not have been born or he might have had a good owner and home. The other dog scheduled for euth was in the kennel, his back to the door pressing his whole body and face to the cement wall at the back of the kennel. He looked defeated , scared and depressed. He had just struggled with AC as they tied him up and dragged him to the van and to AC. They had no choice. He could be dangerous and the workers had to protect themselves. The dog who had lived in a pack of 4 dogs in the junk yard thought he was protecting himself. People had obviously shown him no care or kindness. In away he was protecting himself from the humans that would take him to the open admissions shelter where he would be killed.
The woman at AC who euthanized the dog in the video said she apologized to every animal whose life she took but she understood it had to be done. I understand what she said and imagine how badly she felt. The thing is in a society that valued life she would not be killing dogs at AC.
Killing animals at shelters in large numbers is just a symptom of the corrupted world we live in. Who creates this world, our laws and institutions? WE DO!!!! Yes. WE DO!!! We vote people into office. We support movies and TV shows that do not promote peace.
I encourage people to volunteer at shelters, support local shelters and rescue groups with donations and time. Contact legislators. Be an advocate for those who cannot speak for themselves. Don't accept the state of the world or the way animals are treated as the way it is. It doesn't have to be this way. We get the world we create. Seriously, there are a lot of conflicting forces or energies at work in our world. Be part of the solution not part of the problem. Not easy but something to strive for and read
The Dog Whisperer on Solving the Stray Pet Overpopulation Problem
http://www.cesarsway.com/dog-rescue/spay-and-neuter/Solving-the-stray-and-unwanted-dog-problem
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