I’ve lived in Florida for over two years now and previously lived in CT.
CT believes before you become a pet owner you needed to bring all the family members living in your home as well as any dogs to meet and greet. Once the shelter was satisfied with the interactions they agreed or disagreed to the adoption. You may ask, “why do they have the say”? Well, if the interaction is poor, the dog may be returned or worse. A family member could become injured. The breed could get a bad rap. The list goes on and on. I worked at shelters before and I hear the stories about why the animals are returned and quite frankly, they’re disgusting.
Your adopted or rescued pet is microchipped and spayed or neutered automatically. The fees are covered in the adoption fees. This way the pet is not in any way able to produce more puppies and they are protected by a microchip in case they get loose. Pets also need to be licensed. If not, and your pet gets out, you are given a large fee and your pet may need to be quarantined for a number of days. All of these safeguards are put in place to protect the animal.
In CT, if you hear about a dog getting loose, everyone jumps in to search for them or if you see one loose you try to leash it and find the owners. It happens very infrequently.
In Florida, my experience is that dogs are loose ALL the time. Granted there are far more animals in Florida than in CT. They get out of the yard, they go missing, they run out the front door, they escape while being watched, they are surrendered, they are strays and they are unwanted. Everyday there are posts about missing animals. The shelter I volunteer at microchips and spays and neuters as well and they are a no kill shelter, THANK GOODNESS. Many shelters around the country, Texas, New York, FL, still euthanize because there are so many animals that can’t be cared for. I must say that there are many more people who love their animals than discard them. When a pet goes missing here in FL it is all hands-on deck, a lot of sharing on social media and a lot of help looking for the missing.
The problem, I believe, is that there are not enough resources and penalties/laws set up around the country. These poor helpless animals that didn’t ask for the extreme heat, cold, abuse, hunger, and neglect are on their own. There are a number of groups set up to rescue animals, but the damages are already received. We as a nation need to fight for these voiceless beings who are thrown away like garbage or used for profit. According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) in September of 2021, they received over 50,000 reports of animal cruelty. In the US alone, over 10 million animals die from abuse.
Please write to your local government asking for more penalties to these human offenders. Abuse should equal jail time. Breaking local laws should equal high fines. Puppy Mills should be out of business. Pet stores should be closed.
There are 9 current highly trusted organizations helping animals across the us, but 9 is nowhere near enough. These groups are:
- Allen County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals out of Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Last Chance for Animals out of Los Angeles, CA
- American Eagle Foundation in Tennessee
- Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida
- Wildlife Conservation Network around the world
- Puppies Behind Bars in New York
- Society for the Improvement of Conditions for Stray Animals in Ohio
- The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee
- Michigan Anti-Cruelty Society in Detroit Michigan
- Austin Texas is the largest No-Kill City in the nation.
Often, I hear people talk badly about shelters and rescues. Well, these are someone’s animals prior to coming to the shelter or the rescue. People give animals as presents, but when they outgrow the puppy phase they are surrendered. Babies are born and the dog must go. All of a sudden someone in the family is allergic. Dogs are high maintenance. Dogs are high cost. Big dogs knock youngsters over. Dogs talk like we do. It’s called barking. Dogs are bred over and over again in puppy mills for profit and then sold as purebreds or sold to pet stores where these poor pups have a lot of illnesses or deformities. We as women don’t have baby after baby after baby because our bodies can’t take all that stress. I have had many friends over the years that must spend hundreds and thousands of dollars from a breeder to get the dog they want. Kids do not care what dog they get. That’s a parent’s desire. It actually breaks my heart. My family only believes in rescue and adoption. We have had 9 rescues over the years. We have given an unwanted animal a loving home and my children never asked why we didn’t have a ………..
I mentioned earlier I’ve volunteered in shelters. There have been three. I’ve seen pure bred huskies, lovable pit bulls, discarded cocker spaniel sisters, 18 year old pets, dogs who have been in the shelter for 2 years and the stories go on and on. The current shelter is a no-kill shelter, thank goodness, and I see how well cared for these animals are, but come on, you surrender your 18 year old dog who has lived with you their entire lives. I would scoop that pup in a second if I hadn’t just undergone surgery. People need to use common sense when adopting a pet. If you work full time and are by yourself a dog may not be the best choice. A 100 pound pup may be too strong near a two year old. Expecting your children to pick up after your dog may not be the case. If you are getting sick you may need to find a backup for your pup. Not all animals get along. Do your research.
Please consider adoption and rescue and an older animal who is black in color. They are overlooked the most. Of course, the Pitt bull or bully breeds are overlooked as well, and they make the best pet.
The RSPCA recommends 6 things to stop animal cruelty:
- Adopt a pet
- Proper Care for Your Pet
- Donate to Rescue Groups
- Teach Compassion for Animals to kids
- Purchase Humane Animal Products
- Stop Littering and Reduce Your Plastic Consumption
Please consider donating to one of these rescues/shelters because I have firsthand experience working with these wonderful people who put animals first.
- The Humane Society of St. Lucie County in Florida ( I volunteer)
#supportanimals #village
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2. Good Karma Pet Rescue in Texas ( I support)
https://www.goodkarmapetrescue.org
3. Murphy’s Paw Resue in CT (I support by adopting)
PayPal: donate@murphyspaw.org
Venmo: @MURPHYS-PAW-RESCUE
Mail: Murphy’s Paw Rescue, 120 Queach Rd., Branford, CT 06405
4. CT Humane Society (I support by adopting)
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5. North Shore Animal League America in NY (I support by adopting)
We are the world’s largest no-kill animal rescue and adoption organization
6. Stratford Animal Rescue Society (STARS) in CT (I volunteered and adopted)
Stratford Animal Rescue Society, P.O. Box 1371 Stratford, CT 06615
7. Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League in FL (I volunteered)
https://www.peggyadams.org