When in doubt, don't
I would love for all the homeless animals in the area to find a home this week. Wouldn't it be fantastic if all the people in the area decided to take on a pet, or a second or third?
The truth is, this will not happen. It will not happen this weekend or next. Or next month or year. There are simply too many animals and not enough homes.
I don't want just any homes, either. I dream of good homes where pets are treated as family and are taken care of with food, shelter and vet care.
What will happen is some animals will find the perfect home. They will be loved and cared for the rest of their lives. Many will find a home, but will then prove they are not the perfect pet.
One of the things I have learned in dealing with shelter animals and the public is the public, much to their credit, try and do the right thing. Unfortunately, this doesn't translate to good homes. Some people visit shelters because they feel guilty, or sad or are being pressured by another family member. This doesn't bode well for the animals. These are the animals which are returned time and time again because they aren't working out.
We ran into that situation just this week. The dog in question needs a home. She is a good dog, but the person who was thinking of adopting her had lots of reservations and in the end, she was advised to not adopt the dog. Because of the doubts she had, she would have questioned herself time and time again, and in the end, the dog would have been returned. I have seen it happen many times.
If you are ready for a new pet, please make sure you are comfortable with your decision. If you need to think about it, go home and think about it. If there are doubts in the back of your mind, whatever those doubts may be, then don't adopt the animal.
This will help you avoid the anguish you and the animal would suffer if you had to return it. Anguish which could have been avoided if you had just listened to that little inner voice.
The truth is, this will not happen. It will not happen this weekend or next. Or next month or year. There are simply too many animals and not enough homes.
I don't want just any homes, either. I dream of good homes where pets are treated as family and are taken care of with food, shelter and vet care.
What will happen is some animals will find the perfect home. They will be loved and cared for the rest of their lives. Many will find a home, but will then prove they are not the perfect pet.
One of the things I have learned in dealing with shelter animals and the public is the public, much to their credit, try and do the right thing. Unfortunately, this doesn't translate to good homes. Some people visit shelters because they feel guilty, or sad or are being pressured by another family member. This doesn't bode well for the animals. These are the animals which are returned time and time again because they aren't working out.
We ran into that situation just this week. The dog in question needs a home. She is a good dog, but the person who was thinking of adopting her had lots of reservations and in the end, she was advised to not adopt the dog. Because of the doubts she had, she would have questioned herself time and time again, and in the end, the dog would have been returned. I have seen it happen many times.
If you are ready for a new pet, please make sure you are comfortable with your decision. If you need to think about it, go home and think about it. If there are doubts in the back of your mind, whatever those doubts may be, then don't adopt the animal.
This will help you avoid the anguish you and the animal would suffer if you had to return it. Anguish which could have been avoided if you had just listened to that little inner voice.
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