Are you going to kill it?

I am so tired of hearing "Are you going to kill it?" Four times I have been asked this today and the day is not even half over. Half the time people ask me this before I even start looking into a case. How the hell do I know what is going to happen? That is what I want to say, but I don't. I smile and try and explain the options, but the sad fact is I do not have any control over what happens to an animal if the owner does not want to care for it or if it does not get adopted. The same people look at me like it is my fault the owner is treating the animal the way they do. My concern is getting the animal out of the bad situation it is in at the time and to stop any kind of suffering.

And it is the same people who will buy some kind of Doodle dog for hundreds of dollars on the side of the road instead of adopting at a shelter or looking at petfinder.com.




(With this guy, it is hard to see, but he is chained like this and on the day of this case it was 103 outside.)



Have you ever wondered why people work at animal shelters? Have you ever thought or said, "Oh I couldn't work there, I love animals too much?" Interestingly, in response to both written surveys and verbal exercises in workshops conducted, involving several hundred shelter employees since 1994, the number one reason shelter workers have given over and over again for working in shelters is "because I love animals". They work there because they love animals, despite the pain and heartache they witness and feel themselves.


The next time you find yourself in a conversation with an animal shelter worker (or animal control officer or humane officer), instead of saying, "Oh I couldn't do your job, I love animals too much," try saying, "You must love animals a great deal to do the work you do." This type of comment, this acknowledgment, will go a long way toward boosting the morale of the people who care for the abused, neglected and abandoned animals of your community. (from Teresa Wagner)