Silent Voices of Animal Shelter Pets: Death Sentences for the Innocent

Imagine you've been unfairly accused of a crime and your world is suddenly turned upside down and all you can do is sit and wait, locked behind bars, in a space that makes you feel anxious and uncomfortable. Awkward glances from people passing by your cell make you feel unwanted and unfit to be among society. So you sit; and wait. No one comes to visit and the only contact you have is when someone brings you a meal, but they don't have time to stop for a chat, so you sit; and wait. There is no trial and no one hears your innocent cries. Someone you don't know decided you will die. Society has spoken and passed down their judgment and verdict with no regret and no second thought. Those in charge of carrying out the sentence do so because it's their job. So, you sit and wait because no one will come to rescue you. Your voice is one of the many that goes unheard everyday in animal shelters across the country.

The silent voices of shelter pets. What did they do that was so bad to warrant a death sentence? Was it because their owner made a poor choice when picking a puppy who grew up to be an adult dog they couldn't handle? Was it because his owner didn't know how to correct a behavioral problem the dog developed that was caused by his naive owner? Was it because the owner grew tired of the pet and dumped it; out of sight and out of mind? Was it because the owner didn't have identification on the pet and when the pet became lost, there was no hope of finding the owner once it found it's way to the animal shelter? Was it because their owner moved, got sick, died, got divorced or just didn't have time to care for them? There's always a reason why a pet is relinquished to an animal shelter, but it makes no difference to the pet. Their chances of surviving in an animal shelter is slim. No second chance, no one to come and save them; no hope for a pet who did nothing wrong. Behavioral problems can be corrected, but few people take the time to help an abused dog who acted in the only way they know how. It was a person who left them confused and frustrated because so few dog owners will take the time to teach their dog basic commands.

"It" has a name. Misty, Jake, Abby, Honey, Max, Chip and the list goes on. Silent voices of animal shelter pets with names; out of sight and out of mind. Pets are not possessions to be shown off as a status symbol. Pets are not things to be left tied outside in the yard regardless of the weather. Pets are not someone's form of entertainment for an afternoon of betting and laughing as dogs tear each other apart for human amusement. Pets are not an inconvenience or something to be cast aside because someone grew tired of them. Pets are living, breathing creatures who feel pain, feel hunger and thirst, become sick and are worthy of being treated in a humane and respectful matter. Pets don't deserve to be cast aside.

Every year, 5 million to 7 million pets find themselves in an animal shelter somewhere in the United States for one reason or another. Every year, 3 million to 4 million healthy and adoptable pets are put to death because no one wanted them and shelters are stuck in a cycle of healthy pets arriving in the front door and leaving by the back door in a heap of corpses because we can't find any other way to deal with our pet overpopulation. An overpopulation caused by pet owners who won't be responsible and spay and neuter their pets and by society who turns a blind eye to stray pets and feral cat colonies. Someone else can take care of them. It's not my problem.

We find it horrific that other cultures eat dogs, but sending 3 to 4 million healthy pets to their death every year should be just as horrific. Cats and dogs, through no fault of their own, find themselves in animal shelters where most of them have no hope of finding a new home. It takes money to keep a shelter operating and too few people donate to their local shelter or support them in other ways. It's always left to someone else to take care of the problem.

Adopt from a shelter and save a life isn't just a saying. I read an article written by an unnamed woman who went to an animal shelter in her area to borrow a puppy to use as a visual aid for a speech she was preparing for a final college exam. The article is titled, "My Name is Sam." It's a powerful and heartbreaking account that should be read by every pet owner, especially an owner who is thinking about turning their pet over to a shelter before making that decision. If you have any compassion at all for pets, this article will open up your eyes to the realities for millions of healthy pets in shelters who are adoptable. It's easy to research an article and pull out facts and statistics about pets euthanized every year, but you can't understand the impact it has on your heart until you've witnessed a happy, adoptable, full of life pet going into a room and watch as their last breath leaves their body. What happens behind a closed door marked "private" is played out everyday in animal shelters across the country.

We can do something about it, but most people turn a blind eye and don't want to know what happens behind closed doors and most people won't even take the time to read the article mentioned above. What we don't know won't hurt us; right? But what we refuse to see will make a difference in the life of a pet when their life is needlessly snuffed out because no one cared enough to help find a solution to a problem we created.

The silent voices of animal shelter pets. Who among you are brave enough to take a stand to speak up for their right to life? Millions of death sentences carried out every year as the quiet majority simply looks the other way.

"I looked at all the caged animals in the shelter...the cast-offs of human society. I saw in their eyes love and hope, fear and dread, sadness and betrayal. And I was angry.

"God," I said, "this is terrible! Why don't you do something?" God was silent for a moment and then He spoke softly. "I have done something," He replied. "I created you."

"The Animal's Savior" by Jim Willis Copyright 1999-2004