Just about anyone on the streets around Nashville who know me know that my "rescued" dogs come with me just about everywhere I go, until the weather gets too hot to take them with me on my daily jaunts. Kailie came to me as a very young puppy suffering with Parvo; she was vomiting and defecating blood by the time I received her and I frankly did not think she was going to make it.
I used a doll-baby bottle to feed her and managed to pull her through. She's been my bud ever since and is now just about three years old (or "21" in dog years!)
Kuma came to me by way of an animal rescue service in Nevada. His previous owners let him run loose and he was struck by a car. The owners contacted Animal Control and told them they would not be able to pay the vet fees to save him. One of my friends at Animal Control recognized the wonderful personality of Kuma and contacted me with an offer to pay for the surgery he needed if I'd rehab the ol guy.
I brought Kuma home shortly after the vet amputated his right rear leg and spent 6 months getting him back to health and full mobility. After spending all that time with him, there was simply no way I was going to take a chance on him being mistreated in any way after being adopted out, so I kept him. My "three-legged wonder-dog" is now almost 8 years old and continues to bring great joy in my life every day.I'm a big supporter of animal welfare and ethical treatment and I can tell you that the vast majority of the peeps I know on the street who also have animals feel the same way.
But I also know how difficult it is to take care of animals at times and when one is homeless, those difficulties are compounded in ways many of us cannot imagine. From providing food regularly to ensuring they are vaccinated to finding a place for them to remain while the owner must attend to personal matters in places pets aren't allowed, the challenges are large and sometimes the way in which they are addressed leads many to assume the pets are being mistreated.
For the most part, folks on the street provide the best care they can for their pets. But the fact is, limited resources often provide limited care.
Thank the Gods for people like my friend and colleague Laurie Green, the Executive Director of Southern Alliance for Animal Welfare SAAW), who hit the streets daily with vaccinations, food and other resources for homeless pet owners.
Laurie, like Ms. Nachminovitch, is a strong advocate for spaying/neutering since she often has to deal with the unwanted batches of puppies arising from the breeding instincts of pets around the country.
If you're homeless and have a pet that needs anything at all, please, get in touch with Laurie (you can find her right here). While you've got her, have her get your pet fixed. Laurie will do it for free for you and will take damned good care of your pet in the process.
by PETA
If only Americans could vote for “first dog.” Anyone who has been lucky enough, as I have, to share a home and life with a rescued pooch—and discovered what unique, friendly, smart and affectionate animals they are—would no doubt have voted to send a shelter dog (or two) to the White House. Instead, our nation’s top dog is the adorable but purposely bred 6-month-old Portuguese water dog who was given to the Obama family by Sen. Ted Kennedy.
So what’s wrong with that?
Not everything. While the first family missed a golden opportunity to set an example by adopting a castoff from a shelter or breed rescue group (although they could still adopt a companion for Bo), it was a relief to learn that Bo will not contribute to the glut of unwanted dogs.
Bo has already been neutered—a fact that should be shouted from the rooftops. By letting the public know that the first dog is the “last dog” of his line—and encouraging others to get their own pups spayed or neutered as well—the Obamas can help “fix” the animal overpopulation crisis that is plaguing our nation and killing some 4 million dogs and cats every year at taxpayers’ expense.
For years, animal protection organizations and shelters have been politely encouraging, urging, nagging and pleading with animal guardians to spay or neuter their dogs and cats. We have talked about the myriad benefits of spaying and neutering—including fewer unwanted behaviors such as spraying and marking, decreased aggression and territoriality (which is why sterilized dogs are less likely to bite) and a reduced risk of many types of cancers.
We have published heartbreaking appeals to help people understand that allowing animals to breed—even “just one” litter—is a death sentence for dogs and cats in shelters waiting for their forever homes. We have even shown how spaying and neutering can save taxpayer money that would otherwise be spent picking up, sheltering and ultimately euthanizing unwanted animals.
But it isn’t working. Open the classified section of nearly any newspaper and you will find litter after litter of puppies and kittens being given away “free to a good home.” You’ll see ads from backyard breeders trying to make a quick buck off “purebred” puppies. Whenever a breed becomes fashionable—as Portuguese water dogs now surely will—breeders and puppy mills are only too happy to satisfy the whims of people who do not consider what is truly at stake.
Not only do these “fad pets” steal potential homes from animals in shelters, many of them will also end up in shelters themselves when the people who bought them on impulse find out that they require time, patience, love, training and expensive veterinary care. How many breeders tell potential customers that “Porties” are rambunctious dogs who would gladly run several marathons and swim the English Channel—all before breakfast? They are hardly ideal companions for busy families.
Breeding more dogs is irresponsible, to say the least. But dog breeders won’t stop cranking out puppies until we stop buying them. Sadly, by some estimates, only 10 percent of the dogs in our homes—and 18 percent of the cats—were adopted from animal shelters.
Please, if you truly love dogs—not just the idea of owning one or the particular look of one—visit your local animal shelter or PetFinder.com and give a homeless dog a second chance at life. While I am partial to mutts (they are unique!), if you have your heart set on a particular type of dog (or cat), shelters and rescue groups have those too. An estimated 25 percent of dogs in shelters are purebreds, and a quick search on PetFinder.com even turned up some Portuguese water dogs.
Once you’ve adopted your new four-legged friend, become a part of the solution and have him or her fixed, as Bo is. It won’t happen overnight, but if we vow always to do these two things—adopt and “snip”—then together, yes, we can end animal homelessness once and for all.
Daphna Nachminovitch is the vice president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ Cruelty Investigations Department, 501 Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510; www.HelpingAnimals.com.
