Comments on: Kids are misbeaving… So Relinquish them to a Shelter?

By: Laura

Laura — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 19:52:19 +0000

You know, it may be against our free rights as humans, but they ought to sell dogs and cats like they adopt them out. They scrutinize people, to see if they’re going to be great parents. Maybe Bob Barker’s correct. Spay and neuter. There should be commercials stating we shouldn’t buy animals for cute xmas gifts to children. Children until they’re teenagers don’t really take care of animals. Adults don’t even clean up after their dogs. We may need stricter guidelines, and animals definitely need to be seem as more important beings in the eyes of the law.

By: Susan

Susan — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 18:23:04 +0000

Please help. Last evening a kitten most likely about 6-8 weeks old appeared on my back porch. I have an empty cat carrier and put a fresh towel in and was planning on keeping him in there until AM when I could best determine what to do with him. But, as New England summers often turn, it got colder than I could stand the kitty being out in. So kitty came in. In the carrier. After mewing for a few minutes pretty loud I took kitty out: trimmed his nails, gave him a bath (we have two household cats I was concerned for) and hunkered down to have a less than peaceful night, which is what I had. Kitty, I call him ‘Scoop’, snuggled and nested in my hair and tried suckling my earlobe. After weeing and pooing on my bed and yet another bath and treating laundry and diseinfecting everything at 3AM, finally peace! Especially, after I trained ‘Scoop’ to use the litter box (all in one night!). I had fed Scoop the teensiest amount of ‘Harmony’- a Connecticut based brand holistic, organic cat food both soft and dry versions (chopped up with a little milk mixed in). We both made it through the night! However, this morning has begun a poo fest that is continuing! Loose stools and smelly. What do I do? I hate calling my local vet for all the reasons you can imagine. The shelter is of no help as they hold the caller responsible anyway and they had an article out in paper yesterday about how overcrowded and not accepting of new pets they are anyway. So, although I seriously do not want to add a new kitty to our family of three children and two stray cats (2 and 5 years old) who adopted us too, years ago, I am in a quandry. I’m afraid to feed ‘Scoop’ anything and keep offering fresh water. I had to go out for a short while today and put ‘Scoop’ back in the carrier and came home to an awful stinky gross mess. Poor Scoop! Please advice.

~Sue

By: Imran

Imran — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:52:20 +0000

Its really sad, that many ill informed people get rid of animals that have come to depend on them. Here in Kenya we have a similar problem, much larger in proportion though. The percentage of people who keep pets are far less. Most people keep dogs mainly for security, once they old are simply gotten rid of as they are no longer worthy of the food (as if any decent food is given anyways). They are given to other people (who cant afford to look after them), put to sleep or let loose.

There was once i met a man at a local dog show. He had around 6 German Shepards, kept as guard dogs. When he found out that i also had 2 of my own, he asked my how i looked after them and if i had any tips for him. That was encouraging at least someone who cares about his dogs, enough to ask for tips. What came next shocked me. He told me that he didn’t find GSD dogs to be aggressive and was thinking of getting rid of his to get Doberman which are more ferocious. Gee, just get rid of them, like they don’t matter.

I also told him that i had cats, and he goes “what do you keep those for?”. God help him and like him. There isn’t a shortage of ignorance, or greed, which if gotten rid of can help solve a lot of the issues mentioned earlier.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:06:48 +0000

It is just terribly sad to see all those animals that people have just left behind. I just thank the lord there are many wondeful organzations like yours that will try to find them new loving homes if it is at all possible. The other increase I have seen where I live is in dog theft – Boxers, PitBull type dogs, toy breeds etc…purebred dogs especially. So many dogs and cats needing homes and we have people stealing animals from good homes for purposes that I don’t even want to think about.

By: Brennan Kingsland

Brennan Kingsland — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:45:13 +0000

This is such a sad tale, even though it had a happy ending for Baxter.

The same thing is happening in our neck of the woods and here, the price of pet food has increased drastically, as well.

We feed mostly RAW, and even the prices from the processor have surged.

A 50# bag of ‘decent, not premium’ kibble has risen from $13.97/bag to $20.47/bag. Even the cruddy stuff, crammed with corn, has skyrocketed.
(And I won’t give that to our furkids.)

We have learned to decrease our personal and food expenditures, rather than make our animals suffer.

It’s amazing how much more economically you can live when you get your priorities straight, and eliminate the luxury items.

Priorities have to be hanging on to your home. I feel so bad for all those people who have lost theirs. SAD!