Nov
21
Does it break your heart to go to a dog shelter that kills?
By
When I went to get my dog a few years ago at this shelter, I almost cried. My dad told me to decide which to get and I just couldn’t. I didn’t want to decide who got to live. And I looked at the cats too (even though we couldn’t have one) and they wanted a family and to live it. They looked at me in the eyes and it was like they said “Give me a chance, I am a good cat.”. Same with the dogs. It breaks my heart.
43 Comments
November 21st, 2009 at 4:23 pm
It’s sad and hypocritical on our part as a people. We kill man’s best friend, but we don’t kill unwanted homeless people. Instead, we force them to live their lives out on the street, while many don’t have the capacity/ability to take care of themselves.
Think about it.
November 21st, 2009 at 4:57 pm
its 2 sad
November 21st, 2009 at 5:25 pm
You’re a sap.
November 21st, 2009 at 6:08 pm
yes it breaks my heart to but if they didn’t do that then the pound and shelter’s would be filled.
November 21st, 2009 at 6:46 pm
i does
November 21st, 2009 at 7:15 pm
Its horrible.
I hate how humans think, just because animals cant speak and say “Let me live” that it means they dont deserve to.
its cruel.
November 21st, 2009 at 7:45 pm
its very sad, i did a project on it and im doing a similar one now, trying to get people to understand.
November 21st, 2009 at 8:27 pm
Yes but at least you are doing your part to help reduce the number that were going to die.
November 21st, 2009 at 8:33 pm
yes it is the worst thing ever
November 21st, 2009 at 9:10 pm
i hope u feel better
November 21st, 2009 at 9:40 pm
it breaks my heart too. thats when i get out of college, im going to open a shelter to save the pregnat ones that get in, because usually, they kill them right when they get in there.
im really strong on animal rights and everything,
so when i get there it feels as it makes me want to take all of them home.
i hate going their.
expessially when you pick on, that has to leave like, there brother/sister that have to get left behind.
its terrible.
November 21st, 2009 at 10:00 pm
me toso next time you have a dog or cat that you want to take to the shelterlook up the no cillshelters and take them to that one they wont kill the animal
November 21st, 2009 at 10:28 pm
maybe you can open a home for homeless pets.
November 21st, 2009 at 11:11 pm
Absolutely. I hate seeing them all hopeful, and knowing many won’t make it to the next day. What a shame.
God bless you.
November 21st, 2009 at 11:38 pm
Yeah, it’s hard to decide under those circumstances. But you know, there are a LOT of people who go through the shelter every day and many of those pets you saw and were sad about, WILL be adopted. So don’t worry that you’re choosing “life or death” for all of them by having to pick just one.
November 21st, 2009 at 11:55 pm
It is hard ,I have adopted two cats and two dogs from our shelter. There are some who want to either take over control of the city shelter or start there own No kill shelter, The problem is with the humans who don’t act responsible and spay or neuter their pets thus many unplanned and unwanted pets are born.
November 22nd, 2009 at 12:17 am
yes it is sad. i volunteered in one for a while when i was in college and i cryed everytime i went in and there were some missing because i knew what happened to them.
November 22nd, 2009 at 12:32 am
i know its horrible but its jsut how it is unless you want them to suffer for ever outside ing the cold with fleas and infected wounds and sickness or for chiness peopel to find them and serve them at their restraunt i know its horrible but its the best way to die no suffering just a small poke and a cool sensetion and thats that i know i would mean but i love animals adn i wish they could all have a home but its the fault of the people who are careless enough not to fix their pets and then let them get loos resuting in overpopulation
oh adn often nokill shelters run out of room adn have ot give the animal to a normal shelter so jsut be aware of that
November 22nd, 2009 at 12:33 am
To me it would. And it would be hard to choose which would get to live and which didn’t get to live. Hope you can pick one too.
November 22nd, 2009 at 1:10 am
it is really sad…
November 22nd, 2009 at 1:50 am
Lots of people can’t go to shelters just for that reason. You can’t help them all unfortunately, but you can help in your corner of the world. Depending on how far you want to go, you can volunteer, open a no-kill shelter etc… In the mean time, be happy that you are able to lavish the dog you do adopt with lots of love that all of them deserve.
November 22nd, 2009 at 2:30 am
you are not alone all cat and dog lovers feel this way.
November 22nd, 2009 at 2:55 am
This is exactly why it is so important for all backyard breeders and dog owners who are not competing with conformation level dogs to spay and neuter their pet. I have seen SO many good dogs put to sleep at the shelter I work at. Incredible athletes put down for “nipping” or “not enough room in the shelter”, cute, cuddly puppies who lived only nine months of unloved life only to be put down for “too jumpy” or “grabbing and tugging on leash”. Basic issues that could so easily be fixed by a responsible owner. But those of us who do care about these dogs have our hands full with the other 5,999,999 who need our help.
PLEASE people, spay and neuter your pets! DO NOT breed UNLESS you are working to benefit the breed! If you want puppies, fine, adopt some. There are PLENTY available.
http://www.petfinder.com
November 22nd, 2009 at 3:14 am
yes it sure does, we went to the shelter last year and adopted a puppy for my mom, and it was so very hard to pick one for her, cause like you said all the puppies and dogs looked at us and it was like please take me home, and If I could have afforded it would I would have taken all of them home, I just cry’d the whole time and we finally found the perfect one for my mom, and she is a very happy little dog,
November 22nd, 2009 at 3:41 am
In my opinion its sad to go to ANY animal shelter- all these animals need homes and don’t have them. Bottom line- SPAY AND NEUTER unless you intend to breed for specific purposes and have specific plans for the offspring.
November 22nd, 2009 at 4:17 am
yes, yes, yes.
Going to any animal shelter is heartbreaking, but at least an animal in a shelter is fed and kept warm and dry. Even if it will be killed, I’d hope that would be preferable to starving to death on the streets or suffering an injury. At least the last hours of it’s life would be relatively comfortable.
November 22nd, 2009 at 5:13 am
if it does not hurt there is something wrong .
November 22nd, 2009 at 5:47 am
Yes it is very hard, I never know which one to pick either but, we wouldnt have to go through that if people didnt breed for money.
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:26 am
it breaks my heart more to go to shelters that still use the old fashion method of putting animals in the gas chamber or shelters that dont try to find fosters for animals that do have a chance i think it is not right for shelters or even anybody to decide what animals live or die but i have learned that there are some good reasons for humane euthanasia. which are uncurable sicknesses or massive aggressivness.
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:37 am
dogsindanger.com will make you cry. I want to open a no-kill myself, or at least volunteer to be a step – owner for the process of sites like pet-finder.com. But sometimes these shelters make adopting way too difficult or expensive for most. I rescued a Great Dane from a couple who thought a laundry room and constant breeding was all she needed. She is now happy/healthy/ and spoiled. All I had then was an apartment, now I have a wonderful home for her, but I would not have been given the chance w/ their requirements.
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:44 am
Yeah, it’s sad.. Just remember not to blame the shelter.. It’s not their fault and they would save them all if they could… It’s your neighbor that lets their cat have a litter every year that kills pets. It’s your friend that bought a BYB’er puppy and then gave it up when it grew up, they killed a dog.. The shelter just does what it has to do.. Granted, some shelters don’t do much to help, but, that is often due to a lack of funding or volunteers.. If you live in the south especially, you need to do your part to help animals.. Only with everyone helping will it ever be fixed.. Foster a pet, make sure your pets are neutered, help a friend get their pet fixed. Refer people to your local shelter for a pet.. Donate! Volunteer!
If you really want to get active, try to accomplish what the Richmond SPCA accomplished.. They are now at a nearly 90% save rate! They had a 70% kill rate just 5 years ago and have managed to turn it around..
Just remember not to blame the shelter.. and don’t use the old excuse that it’s too hard to go to the shelter as a reason to buy a pet store dog.. I see too many people doing that.. That’s really sad,…
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:40 am
Of course it does. Its not right to do but there has to be something done if not the shelter would be overpopulated with these animals and without enough money it would just create an overall bad enviorment. It seems bad but without money and irresponsible owners then this will keep on happening.
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:36 am
Yes it does break my heart. Every time I go into a kill shelter, you kind of know which dogs will get adopted and which will not in the time frame allotted them or when they are up to and beyond capacity.
Can you imagine if you were the person who had to pick which dogs had to be put down?
That is why I am so adamant about spaying and neutering your pets. These insane questions from BYB’s just rot my gut . Unbelieveable. These byb’s will sell their pup, their pups will have pups, and so on … the vicious cycle continues.
So for the people that have the idiotic mentality of “it’s my dog and I will do what I want” I say get a conscience, get some morals, care about the dogs that look up to you for their well being. Don’t contribute to the overpopulation of dogs.
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:10 am
OMG i no it! i was so ticked.. i went to the shelter which just got done loads of pavement. I wondered why they could spend money for the shelter, drive way, and lawn seeding, but couldnt’t possibly use it to keep their cats alive.
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:29 am
Even ‘no kill’ shelters have to destroy unwanted animals at some point — and do. As far as the homeless people they do die and often at the hands of man so that is a rather pityful argument against kill shelters. All shelters are depressing — even the ones that are specially made to make everyone feel better about them — they all contain unwanted cast off animals and yes, they do end up having to destroy quite a few as some are simply not going to be rehabable/rehomeable. When someone would come to me wanting to use my males for ’stud’ I would always make it a prerequisit the they accompany me to the local shelter before I refused them… many didn’t care and went on to find someone with a male that would breed to their poor quality female — but there were those that actually do learn and did understand and didn’t breed — several even started volunteering at the shelter so while the majority of people are non-learners who will do what they want to make themselves feel better about themselves, there are also, thank goodness, the learners of the world that will choose to not add to the problem….
add: btw, what is really sad is that the majority of the unwanted/improperly bred and placed dogs and cats do not even make it to the shelters… most are dying on the streets, out in backyards and in people’s homes from neglect… maybe a small percentage makes it to any shelter… think about it…
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:16 am
Yeah it’s a tragedy.
What bothers me more is when people blame the shelter or the shelter workers. That’s totally inappropriate. Those people are angels and they are doing an impossible job and they are doing it to the best of their ability.
I hate that some shelters have to euthanize animals. It’s just horrible. However, I’d rather them be humanely let go than to live in a cage for months, if not years on end.
So many people will keep a dog or cat alive indefinately because they keep hoping the animal will be adopted. The animals have no life, they become cage aggressive, and just sit in a cage endlessly waiting. That to me isn’t exactly humane.
It’s a supply and demand problem. When there are too many animals, not enough room, and not enough homes, what do you do with them?
Until we stop the supply problem this problem isn’t going to go away. We aren’t going to increase demand by much… we have to decrease supply by getting everyone to spay and neuter, realize having a pet is a lifetime commitment and that they aren’t disposable.
I don’t like it that animals are euthanized. It makes me sick to my stomach. It’s why I volunteer. However, until something in our society changes significantly, it’s not going to end. We have to help those who have that horrible horrible job do it as humanely as possible – for the animals sake and for theirs as well.
EDIT:
Chris H. So you are saying people should stop donating because a shelter euthanizes animals? What do you suppose they do with them if no one adopts them, more keep coming in and they are out of room? I mean what is the alternative? And now you are asking people to stop donating? You are basically saying Kill more by doing that. You have volunteer for a couple of weeks. Do that THEN come back here and stay stop donating money to a shelter.
Your statement is heartbreaking. You are doing more harm than you know by saying that.
NO ONE who works at a shelter wants to euthanize. They don’t have a choice.
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:50 am
Where did you go?Was it to one of the R.S.P,S.A centres?l know its shocking when you find out that they are killing 2000 healthy dogs a month isn’t it.Makes you wonder why people donate towards killing those poor,healthy ,homeless ,dogs
November 22nd, 2009 at 11:46 am
it’s very sad but without killing them we would have dogs and cats running wild in the streets with no veterinary care and they would be malnourished and sick. all the no kill shelters in my area are full all the time and when they can’t take your pet they refer you to a shelter that does kill. i feel awful because it is people who have made this mess and many people are still contributing to the problem. some things you can do to help are
1) adopt a dog or cat
2) sponsor a dog or cat in a shelter (this means you help pay for the food and toys and vet care for the animal without actually taking it home)
3) give your time to a shelter by volunteering (this helps by making a better life for the animals while they wait for a home)
4) foster a pet without adopting it (you house and care for the animal until it gets adopted so it doesn’t overcrowd the shelter)
5) tell everyone you know about puppy mills and backyard breeders and pet stores and why they should adopt instead of buy a pet, and report any animal abuse or neglect you suspect.
here’s a good place to see what bad breeders are doing to the pet population.
http://video.hsus.org/?fr_story=FRdamp226793&rf=bm
it’s awful the way we as humans have done these helpless critters so wrongly, but if you get active and help we can do something about it instead of just feeling bad.
November 22nd, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Ya, that is why I chose to not visit. I can’t deal with the whole situation.
November 22nd, 2009 at 12:56 pm
no,what breaks my heart is to know that it could have all been so easily avoided had people been responsible pet owners….
November 22nd, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Yes. It’s terrible. That is why I volunteer for HART. It is a no killl rescue group, that gets its animals from other shelters before they get put to sleep.
November 22nd, 2009 at 1:12 pm
It must have been hard being you because we own a farm/shelter and weekly we go to every pet shelter in town and adopt the pets no one wants we have lots of animals but it breaks my heart. If it was me and my mom in there we would have adopted every pet there. : (
November 22nd, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Yes it does.