07/03/2024
As a volunteer at the shelter, I get lots of people asking me all sorts of questions about their pets. I work with cats and I foster cats, but I have dogs of my own as well, so I have a bit of knowledge.
People come to me to ask about helping them re-home their pets. More than I would like. But it seems like these people are trying to find a better option than a mere drop off at a shelter, so there is hope.
Here is the reality of re-homing, sending them to a rescue or dropping them at a shelter.
That animal will be scared. That animal will wail for their family. They may become aggressive due to fear. They may stop eating and drinking due to fear. And that is just some of the things that will happen quickly, regardless of the situation.
Re-homing sounds great, but are you inspecting the home? Are you checking this new family out? Vetting them? Are you charging a re-homing fee? Re-homing for free is an invitation to all the sick and twisted people looking for animals to hurt to come by and pick up your pet for their demise. Free is never an option. And unless you are vetting the family, it's a crap shoot. And if your pet does anything the family doesn't like, out of fear, anxiety, loss, the animal will suffer in the end.
Rescues, whether breed specific, or dog or cat specific, usually work with foster families that are trained and loving. The goal of rescues is to find forever homes and usually do a better job of vetting potential adopters. Foster parents usually call the shots on a go/no-go on adopters if they don't feel they are the right fit. But your pet is still going through the loss of its home, family, foundation and life.
Shelters are only an option for animals that are being seized due to abuse, neglect, hoarding situations, or animals found in the streets. A shelter environment is meant to be a safe haven for animals that need immediate attention and care to go toward reconnecting them with their family or finding them a new one. A shelter is not meant, in my opinion, as a place to drop off a member of your family when no longer convenient. I volunteer at a shelter and can tell you that every person that works there and volunteers there love animals and work damn hard to save every single life. But, there are only so many kennels, so many crates, and when more animals are being surrendered then adopted, what happens? Usually, the animal ends up as a long term resident. If a foster parent can be found, that helps the shelter and helps the animal, but finding great volunteers to foster can be hard. And animals that stay too long in the shelter can decline mentally. Animals can suffer from psychosis in varying forms as more and more time lapses in their length of stay.
So what do you do? First I would encourage anyone wanting a pet to first ask yourself the following questions:
1- Am I willing to forgo my own personal wants to keep my pet safe, loved and healthy by my side and in my home?
2- Do I have the finances available to take full care of all health issues/concerns/needs/emergencies that can and will arise?
3- Do I have stability in my life and schedule that allows me the time to play/exercise/love my pet?
4- Am I getting this pet because it's trendy or a new breed or because I'm a single parent that is looking to fulfill my child's wants to make them happy?
5- Have I taken the time to educate myself on this pet so I can be responsible?
6- Am I willing to be a part of the solution of the pet population and have my pet spayed or neutered?
Now, if you have a pet and are in a situation where you find yourself thinking about getting rid of your pet, I would start by reconsidering the issues and challenges you face that make it seem like not having the pet is the only solution.
In my opinion, if the animal is not aggressive or a threat, there is no reason to get rid of your pet. Every situation has a work around and there are lots of ideas for every situation.
You can reach out to anyone that lives to serve animals for ideas, advice and help. I am currently working on creating an action plan for someone in the hope that will help them get past the obstacles and allow them to complete their life mission with their pet.
Remember, animals only know how to love us unconditionally, they deserve to be loved with the same fervor and given the the space in our lives to fulfill their mission in ours.
Adopt responsibly,
Amarilis
