We all make daily decisions for our dogs: what to feed them, when to walk them, who their vets and groomers will be. But for people who work in animal shelters, the daily decisions are much more difficult: who gets surgery and who does not. Who goes in the foster home and who stays in the animal shelter. Who lives and who dies.
Rescue groups save dogs from shelters every day. But, there are far too many homeless dogs, and deciding which dogs to take can be heartbreaking. As the economy continues to be grim, the burden often falls on our pets. As families are loosing their homes, many are forced to give up their pets. Shelters are seeing many more ideal family dogs, very well trained and excellent with children. These dogs were once part of a family and need another one….soon before their time runs out.
One of the biggest problems is that adoptions have slowed way down during the past six months. People are not feeling secure about their jobs or their financial situation. So they are less likely to make a long-term commitment and adopt a dog. Also, private donations are down. Shelters are always scrambling to do fundraising.
The dog community is a close community. People who work in shelters and rescue continue to do the work even though it is often frustrating and heartbreaking, because they know they are making a difference.
How can you help? Shelters and rescue groups need funds, lots of funds. They also need a lot more people to adopt and provide foster homes. Anyone with Public Relations expertise to help get the message out is always needed.
