Thank you for the feedback and encouragement to keep making the Saturday posts. I feel the same… I know I cannot adopt all of them or even one of them, but I hate knowing that animals are out there confused, frightened and locked up… they are suffering. And they are suffering because of irresponsible pet parenting. There is a rampant problem in this country… our human propensity to just throw animals away when they get too old, too sick, too expensive or just too much of a hassle. These animals love us unconditionally, never hold a grudge and most are loyal to a fault and how do we reward them (aside from humiliating them with silly costumes?) We abandon, jail and kill them… millions of them a year, MILLIONS!

Most of us do not dispose of our children in this manner. I make the comparison because children are how we define family pets, saying things like, “they are my babies,” and dressing them up in human clothes, carrying them around with us everywhere we go and including them in our family portraits. And, in truth, they are as much work as a child. Though dogs, especially, are much more grateful than most children are! LOL.

This is my way of trying to help, by bringing people’s awareness to the gravity of the situation! Even our act of giving animals as pets for Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day, anniversaries and birthdays is irresponsible. It’s cute as a puppy, as a kitten but unless the person makes a connection with the animal before it comes home there may not be a loyalty to the animal… especially if it was given by a romantic partner who then cheats or dumps you… giving these animals to people who eventually abandon, neglect or send them to the pound leads to their endangerment. The doggy you thought was so cute and bought for your boyfriend could end up dead… because you brought it home as a gift, stealing its chance at finding a furever family. I know that sounds really harsh, but it is not as harsh as the reality that this is truth. Giving bunnies, baby ducks or chicks at Easter is an especially cute gimmick — for about a week, and then, unless you own a farm, the charm and cuteness wears off. Besides, fuzzy bright yellow chicks are adorable… chickens,* for the most part are really quite ugly.  Tasty, but ugly.

And, yes, I do intend to also post cats, rabbits, whatever. Thank you all for encouraging me to continue these posts. I am never going to post a photo of a pile of euthanized dog carcasses but that really is the reality and it is horrendous, horrible, and embarrassing to us as a nation and as a species.

(Initially this was meant to be a response to the comments and emails I have received…. but obviously this became a post in and of itself!)

* So, technically speaking chickens can be roosters, hens or dinner. I give you the most beautiful chicken I’ve ever seen. His name is Napoleon who I ran across at The Chicken Mama’s blog.