I’m sure you are all familiar with the evil public: Irresponsible pet owners who refuse to neuter their pets and callously force kindly shelter workers to spend their work days killing friendly pets. You know – those people, a.k.a. all of us.
It is the public’s fault that bad things happen to shelter pets. Which is why it was so shocking to come across these recent stories of members of the public responding to a need in our communities. Clearly, these are aberrations, just like the folks in Part 1:
* A shelter volunteer in GA hated the idea that dogs at her shelter had to sleep on the concrete floor. She set a goal to put a cot style bed in every single one of the 177 dog runs at the shelter. Collecting donations from friends and neighbors in the community, she managed to meet her goal. Many members of the community enclosed a note of thanks with their donations which helped to encourage her along the way.
* Dianne Prout in VA transports shelter pets away from kill shelters and toward adoption, volunteering her services all over the region:
In the end, her husband is just as dedicated as Prout herself. From fostering 40 cats in their garage, to paying for a new transport van, both Prouts are equally dedicated to saving the world, one dog or cat at a time.
* In Chesterfield Co, SC, a network of foster homes look after dogs saved from the local kill shelter until they get picked up for transport to NY by Last Chance Animal Rescue. The foster families get the dogs veterinary care with funds provided by Last Chance so by the time they are transported, the dogs are vaccinated, neutered and ready for new homes.
These are stories of the public responding to shelter pets in need of beds, transportation and temporary housing. Surely the irresponsible public wouldn’t help shelter pets in other ways – would they? Stay tuned for Part 3.