We always had pets in our home as I was growing up. Whether
it was a mutt from the shelter or a stray cat that started sticking around, we
constantly maintained a small menagerie. It was a chance for me, as an only kid, to
have a companion and learn to care about something other than myself. When our
pets got sick or injured, it was also an opportunity to learn about grief.
Mostly it was a chance to receive the kind of unconditional love that only a
pet can provide.
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| From Liberty Humane Society (NJ) site. |
Now a confession – I cry whenever a Humane Society, ASPCA, or
PETA commercial comes on television. My husband rushes to flip the channel the
minute he catches a glimpse of a sad little furry face staring out from between
the bars of a cage. He’s usually not fast enough, and I insist that he leave
the commercial to run. It’s not that I’m particularly fond of blubbering over the
television. It’s that I don’t want to forget that everywhere at any time there
are animals in need.
Recently, a story in my local news grabbed my attention. Some
numbskull (that’s my nice name for the offender) decided they’d had enough of
their cat and threw her over a highway overpass. However, her nimble
coordination allowed her to grab onto one of those big green highway signs and
find a place to sit, just balanced on the scaffolding below the structure. The
poor thing sat there for two days until someone spotted her and the local
animal control rescued her. After a bit of TLC at a shelter, Freeway, as the
shelter named her, is now available for adoption by a loving family.
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| From Portsmouth, VA Humane Society site. |
Animals can’t ask for help, and they are usually stoical in
the face of pain and neglect. Yes, they require care and feeding, but they
return good care and affection a thousand-fold. If helping animals is your
charity of choice, there are many ways to give. You can donate money to the
biggies like World Wildlife Fund, your state or local American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). You can also donate money to your local shelter or Humane Society.
If it’s a financial burden to donate money, consider
donating your time. Most local shelters and humane societies welcome volunteers
and will provide training for such work. This kind of donation usually
involves helping to socialize the shelter animals, so you’ll get to spend lots
of rewarding time with pets who need your love and attention. Some no kill
shelters also need foster families who are willing to take up-for-adoption pets
home until they can find their forever family.
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| From Liberty Humane Society page - New Jersey |
For an animal in need, there is no greater gift you can give
than the gift of a home. If you or your family is
considering a new pet,
consider your local shelter or pet refuge. Fees for adoption are usually
affordable and go to support other animals in need. Often the cost of spaying
or neutering is included in the adoption fee. While there are usually kittens
and puppies available at shelters now and then, don't forget the animals that are bit
older who really need a second chance. Unbelievably, some folks actually take
pets to the shelter or abandon them once they’ve passed that cute puppy stage
or grown larger than the owner expected.
Have you given a home or donated your time/money to animals
in need?
