Someone needs you....

For most all of my life I've been making space in my home for new friends. They have come in many shapes, shades and sizes. Fur, hair, feathers, scales and skin. Anyone that needed a home could easily find one with me. I felt it my earthly duty.

As a kid there were the inevitable snakes and squirrels, baby birds, bunnies and skunks. Outside there were all the rest. My extended family.

I get this from my grandfather. He would come home from work on blustery cold winter days and open his jacket to show who had 'followed' him home.
He'd sheepishly look at my Nana and say, "Well Huckleberry, I couldn't just leave him off to fend for himself, now could I?"
To which my Nana would reply "You? Fat chance of that! Who followed you this time?"

At one time we had three dogs, seven cats, three canaries, one budgie, one parrot, one squirrel and a raccoon sharing our home. Miraculously, they all got along; sometimes better than the ones in possession of the larger brain, in fact!

But from all this, I learned which animals can adapt to an indoor environment and which ones can't. Squirrels? Can't! Raccoons? Can't! Skunks? Take away that little bag of fumes they have and they are just as wonderful as any kitty.

I relate all this of course because of a dire need for homes for others that have been abandoned or sent to shelters due to circumstances beyond their owners control. These are the little ones that need you the most.

We so often make a decision to buy that 'pure bred' pet, never once thinking about how we are perpetuating the puppy mills and unscrupulous breeding farms. Animal shelters are by far your best source when looking for a pet. Not only do they have a great selection of adult animals for adoption, but they also have kittens and puppies, and even purebred animals. In fact, on average, purebreds account for about 25% to 30% of a shelter's dog population.

Many pets at your local shelter are waiting for new homes because they were obtained from a breeder by someone with unrealistic expectations of the time, effort, and money required to sustain a lifelong relationship with their pet.

National figures indicate that about half of the animals in shelters must be euthanized for lack of homes.

Let's try to stop this trend today? Animals at your local shelter are eager to find a new home and are just waiting for someone like you.

And don't be discouraged if, when you first visit the shelter, there are no animals of the breed or type you want. It's unfortunate, but most shelters receive scores of new animals every day. Your shelter may also have a waiting list and can call you when an animal matching your preference becomes available. Before choosing your pet, you can even speak with an adoption counselor about whether your choice of a particular type or breed will be best for you. There is so much to be gained from deciding this is where to go. All three of my kitties today are rescued, one from the Humane Society and his cage was tagged with a euthanasia sticker. He was literally hours away of losing his life.

And last but not least, another advantage is that shelter adoption fees are usually much less than an animal's purchase price at a pet store or breeder. Your new little buddy is more likely to be vaccinated, dewormed, and spayed or neutered before coming home with you too.

To locate your local animal shelter, check the Yellow Pages under "Animal shelter," "Animal control," or "Humane Society."


Many shelters also have web sites on which they display the animals they have available for adoption. Some sites allow you to download adoption forms and read about responsible pet care.
A growing number of shelters also promote their web sites, and the animals they have for adoption, on sites such as Pets 911, Petfinder, Happy Tails and 1-800-Save-A-Pet.com.
Petfinder also has a 'click daily' to help food costs, which I love!

And finally, but certainly not last is Alley Cat Allies. If you can't provide a home for those struggling to live, then make their struggle easier. No, not by calling animal control & having them scooped up off the street and "humanely" destroyed, but by joining so many others in bringing food and health care to those in the urban wild. There are numerous ways to help; including donation and hands on work.

They also hold seminars to help people make their neighborhoods trap-neuter-return areas, and you learn how you can unite and mobilize to make nonlethal policies the norm. As surprising as it is to people, the law does support this, so if you decide to visit a national cat advocacy seminar such as the one being held in Washington this coming October, you will come away informed and ready to do something good. The dates for this seminar are Friday, October 12 and Saturday October 13. If you're not in the Washington area like I am, you can find things that are happening in your area by visiting their Feral Cat and Spay/Neuter Organizations section for global action. This is so easy to do and so vital to so many little lives.

My gratitude goes out to Patrick McDonnell for his most excellent comic strip and for all the good work he's doing for animals the world over. Reading Mutts is a part of my daily ritual. Got my button, got my handbook - I'm a fan!


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