I know many people here do some kind of rescue work, and I also know that many people don't, either for lack of time, or lack of proximity to a shelter that needs volunteers, or scheduling issues, or maybe because the emotional drain of seeing all those sad faces is just too much to bear on a day to day basis.
But I also know that rescue isn't just about shelters and formal programs. It's the person on the street who finds one kitten and convinces his friend to take it home. Or the girl who hears about a newly homeless pup and puts a sign up at work and gets it adopted. Or the person who sees an older dog on petfinder that she can't take, but can't forget either, so she pays for the ad in the Pennysaver and writes a really sad ad and convinces people to come down to see the dog...and as a result, three formerly homeless dogs get adopted.
I know everyone here loves their dogs, and I know we all feel so bad for all the dogs (and cats) that aren't loved and safe in a forever home. So I want to throw out a challenge.
This week, I challenge everyone on here to save ONE pet. No, you don't have to adopt it yourself, but maybe you know someone who's been dithering about getting a new dog, or a kitten, and just needs a little push. Maybe there's a high kill shelter in your area that does very little to find its pets homes before putting them to sleep, and you can go and pick one pet, take digital photos and put up posters all over your neighborhood with the photo and a catchy headline like, "If You Don't Adopt Me By Monday, I'll Be Dead."
Maybe you know a stray cat that had kittens that are currently living on the street, and you can send an e-mail to all your friends and e-mail lists to see if anyone wants one. If you own a home with a rental, maybe you can advertise for your next tenant "Pet owner welcome!" Or tell your current tenant, "If you want a pet here, it's okay."
Perhaps you have some extra money and can place a few ads in a local paper for pets in a shelter near you. Or put up posters in the grocery store or library. Statistically, homeless pets that get ads written as heart rending personal appeals with the pet's story get adopted far more often than those that are just part of a generic shelter ad. So if you can afford one ad, even in a cheap local rag, you might just save a life -- or several lives, because if people come in after the animal is adopted, they may well take a different one.
You don't have to make a lifetime commitment, or a year long commitment, or even a month long commitment. You don't have to try to save the world. You only have to find ONE pet a home.
Think about it: If all of us save just one pet this week, how many pets could we jointly help to have wonderful, happy lives? How many people can we help to enjoy the companionship and love of a devoted pet? And if that's not motivation enough, what about doing it to honor our own pets, who, were fate to have dealt them different cards, might be the animals in that kill shelter, hoping for a miracle.
I invite everyone on here to take up this challenge, pass it along to animal loving friends. Then, post your stories here about the pets you save as an inspiration to all of us!
Jan