This is Bob. He was found wandering the streets and a good Samaritan brought him to the shelter. Bob has been so depressed at the shelter that families keep passing him over. And now, Bob’s time is UP! He’s been at the shelter past the mandatory hold period and overcrowding is a real problem at this facility. Unless you can take him in and give him a home by 8am tomorrow, he will be destroyed to make space for more homeless family members. Please do not contact the shelter directly as the staff will sometimes kill early, out of spite, if they receive angry phone calls from people about their practices. When that happens, they usually refuse to allow volunteers back in for awhile and then we can’t network to help the shelter residents. Also, it’s really not the staff’s fault – they HAVE TO kill to make room. It’s the irresponsible public’s fault for bearing children who grow up and lose their jobs, become addicts, etc. and wind up on the streets. This is why we need laws for mandatory sterilization of all people NOW! Please crosspost!
***
If you find this mock ad disgusting and offensive on many levels, you are not alone. But this is the exact type of ad that gets posted online every day, thousands of times over, by volunteers on behalf of homeless pets in America’s animal shelters. Yes, I know people and pets are not the same. But they are both family members with a right to life. There is no need to kill healthy, friendly shelter pets for space and no need to make excuses for those doing the killing. So why do we accept these lies from our taxpayer funded animal shelters?
If this was how homeless people in your community were “sheltered”, would you be moved to take action to stop the killing? Would you speak up and demand reform at your local shelter? Would you be willing to organize and approach your county council about the need for change? If so, you are not alone. We are a humane society. Join us.
Brilliant!
There is a video on youtube showing a humane boy on the streets and people treating him like a stray dog — being afraid of him, chasing him, etc. It is a wonderful video that helps make people think, as does your post. Thank you!
I really really would love to see this video!
I wish I could find it again. It was a while back that I saw it – loved it. It was a commercial but I can’t remember for who. Guessing it must have been for one of the larger shelter organizations, but don’t know which one.
You have just jogged my memory about an ad I saw on YouTube where the family puts the boy out the car in a field, throws a ball for him then drives away – is that the one you are thinking of?
I have seen this video on You Tube – would it be the one you guys are looking for????
Yes, that is the one that I was thinking about. Love it. Makes one think.
I like this post, some people need this perspective. Especially after the Chesterfield shelter (and others) have come into to the public eye. Blaming the public only creates a cycle of hate and distrust as demostrated time and time again. Stop! The shelters need to be accountable for the animals in their care period!
May i ask what keywords to search for on Youtube?. Id like to share it to my online network. Thanks.
What are your ideas about this: YouTube video – Alex Pacheco 600 Million Stay Dogs needs you – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFg9i2jkdGQ
Alex Pacheco, founder of 600 Million Stray Dogs Needs you, talks about a steralization pill for dogs to help end strays all over the world. He is working on a single dose pill to be able to give to street dogs that will sterilize them in one dose, check out more at http://www.600dogs.org
I looked into this. The drug involved has shown a tendency to cause ovaries to atrophy with repeated use. It is also associated with an increased risk of certain cancers.
If they get the dosage high enough to damage the ovaries in one dose, what would prevent someone from giving that drug to dogs that should not be desexed? What would stop some wacko from going to dog shows and instead of opening crates to “free” the dogs, give out “treats” with these pills inside to every dog they can?
Messing with the delicate balance of hormones like this drug does has consequences, some of which may not be known yet, as it has only been used in lab rodents.
Spaying and neutering are messing with hormones too. Are you against spay/neuter too?
Spaying or neutering has a different effect than dosing a dog with a powerful, carcinogenic, hormone altering chemical. I am only against desexing a dog when there is no benefit or if there is possible harm as a result. I have become aware of some not terribly well publicized negative effects of early age castration of males; there are some health problems associated with early age spaying, but there are also health problems associated with not spaying, so that is a decision that needs to be made in consultation with a vet.
The information I have with regards to the potential effects of desexing dogs was obtained from published, peer reviewed, scientific articles.
While in theory I like this ‘could’ be a great idea…there are some concerns that I have. The main one is that if we have this ‘treat’ (sounded like a dog biscuit with the meds in it according to the video) that people can purchase…then hand out doggie treats to people’s dogs without them knowing that the treat contains the medication that can result in complete sterlization. When I think of breeders – you know that ones that actually breed to enhance the quality of the breed, the ones who show their dogs and have proven that their bloodlines are great and have put a lot of their heart & energy into making the breed better…what’s going to happen if some rights activist decides to go to dog shows and pass out treats to eliminate the ability to breed the dogs. This would open a whole new door for AR’s to use to eliminate dog breeding completely.
Now, on the flip side…for shelters and such that spay/neuter prior to adoption this would be a great way to cut down costs and reduce any negative reactions dogs may have to the meds used during the surgery – also cutting down on having to have someone observe the dogs after surgery until they have ‘come to’. It can also be beneficial to countries that don’t have the same animal shelters and such in place and have dogs running loose all over the place and no spay/neuter clinics.
I guess I’m kind of on the fence with the entire idea just because the possibility of abuse.
Now I just want to make sure, Bob’s vaccination’s are UTD and he has been neutered. Would I be allowed to adopt Bob if I could only keep him outside and tied up. I don’t have a fenced yard. I don’t plan on yearly vaccinations for Bob. I was convicted on animal cruelty charges but there are mitigating circumstances to them. If his adoption fee is free, I’d really be interested in giving him a loving home.
I thought a mock ad deserved a mock reply.
Roger, I’ve got a cousin named Mary that might be available. She doesn’t like children. I think she’s too old to breed, but she’s got good teeth.
I am REALLY enjoying this thread. Thank you.
LynnO, if your cousin Mary is house trained, I would forgo leaving her outside all the time.
Is Bob good with kids, cats & other dogs?
I do not believe in killing animals or people.
I do want to say something about homeless people though. People are constantly turned away from shelters due to overcrowding. They are not euthanized, but they are turned away. They may or may not live through the night or week. They may not get the chance to get back on their feet. I am not sure that things like this really get across what happens to homeless people in this country, though it may get across what happens to animals. We need to fight for a better life for both animals and people.
Laura-I have to say I agree with you on this, in a werid turn of events the no kill shelter I’m trying to Reform PAWS, had fired an employee and now she is living on the streets, they took the dog (and are fundraising off of it) but left her on the street. I inquired and was told “I’m sure she is in a shelter somewhere”.
Shirley, are you and I in a contest called “Who Wants to Invite a Shitstorm?” this week?
lawl, I wasn’t aware but now that I am, I hope I win! What’s the prize? Oh – wait…
If only there was a prize…..
this is toooo good not to share with the world
Howard Stern Rants About People Who Abandon Their Pets at Shelters
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBLYdBqnbbw
a picture of the dog can be found at
http://www.howardstern.com/fr_index.hs
I don’t want to adopt one of these people. I want a baby for my puppy to grow up with. You know all of those people in shelters are there because they have problems. I want a pure bred because you know what you are getting…not one of those mutt people.
(Tongue in Cheek if someone can’t tell)
not offensive but it kinda makes u think about the plight of homeless animals or those in shelters in shelters!!!
as i was reading the ad i thought maybe a mistake had been made on the pic…………
I thought Alex Pacheco was making a mock ad!
List of main reasons animals die in pounds:
1. Failure of people to make a lifetime commitment to a pet. It’s not a toy, not a game you grow tired of playing. It’s a living thing. It’s not a fashion, not a fad that goes in and out. How many times I’ve heard people say “I’m OVER it” as a reason for dumping their pet, or trading them in on a smaller model. The other big excuse is ‘we don’t have time/he deserves someone who will spend time with him’ well lady, you probably aren’t spending enough time with your kids either, but you wouldn’t dump them. At least they have a home, food, shelter, care and a little attention. The fairy stories of ‘he’s gonna find a niiiice home in the country’ people use to absolve themselves of guilt get more disgusting all the time.
2. The new laws and rules that make it harder to adopt. While they were originally well meaning, the unintended consequences have led to far more deaths. Long adoption applications, high adoption fees, forcing them to be spayed/neutered immediately make no sense when you consider the same people making these demands would be very willing to kill the animal and dump him in the incinerator or the landfill if the person doesn’t comply. The main issue should be getting the pet off death row, then worry about the rest later! Not working with rescues proves they do not care about death rates. Add to all this the fact that many high kill ‘shelters’ are only open 3 days a week, 3 hours a day, usually when most people are working and kids are at school and have a 3-5 day holding time (if that) so any animal has a VERY small window of opportunity to find that ‘special person’ even if they would eventually come. This is another reason why rescues are so important, they take the animal and are able to foster it and buy it time until they can find the right home. Most pounds couldn’t care less, they’re all just a dime a dozen, another dozen dead is just another day at the office.
3. Apathy of the public- in ignoring the realities of what happens when you dump a pet because they don’t want to believe it, not choosing to adopt from a ‘shelter’, and not fighting or at least speaking out against the horrors that go on there once they are found out.
4. Big organizations with the most money do not save lives of shelter pets and work against rescuers who do. That’s all I’m gonna say, but many of you know exactly what I’m talking about!
add to #3: People say they are ‘moving’ but won’t take the pet with them, when in most cases they could have found a way if they wanted to. I have actually heard of people dumping their pet because the new landlord didn’t let them bring it in, and they just had to have that particular apt. because the pool was cooler than the one that allowed pets. Don’t forget the ever present ‘bf/gf doesn’t get along’ with the pet, never mind that the new significant other will likely be gone in 6 months for some other reason and your furry pal of many years will have been deserted and most likely end up in the landfill for nothing. Then there are those who suddenly become ‘allergic’- I don’t buy this either, since many people who are ‘allergic’ keep their pets anyway, and most ‘allergic’ people have to be on some kind of medication anyway, why get rid of the dog or cat when you know you’ll never get rod of pollen or dust anyway? Some have even got a new pet and the old one resents the new one, so they dump the old one! Or they decide to ‘downsize’ from a large dog to a small, and treat it like they just traded in their car. There are many other ridiculous reasons I’ve heard too numerous to mention.
Sadly, there are people who would be okay with killing homeless people. It is often believed that homeless people are that way because they are alcoholics or drug addicts or mentally ill and none of them are worth anything.
Love your work! :) I understand of course that humans are a different species but to be honest I still don’t understand why pets and people are different. I know many people like to believe this and that it has been used to justify eating, wearing, experimenting on, farming, killing, exploiting and abusing animals but from what I’ve seen, the only difference seems to be that animals forgive more easily and do less harm than humans.
I have thought a lot about this as a way of getting the point across but have not brought it up in actual conversation yet.
It seems to me the biggest problem is awareness and increasing it through education in mainstream places.
As i only became aware of how big the problem is the
last couple of years I would say the momentum ball is rolling and it is just a matter of time which with the downturn or normalization in the economy, it is good that it was already building momentum because it is going to get a little tougher now.
Brilliant post, as per usual!
Permission to share?