Was in bed with the piglet, Lily, and Tunch, and we had gone through our bedtime rituals and were getting all ready for sleep, when I remembered I wanted to say something. I went to the new animal shelter in my county today to check out the new digs (they are just moving in) and to make a donation, and even though it is nice and new and big, it is already packed.
They must have had at least 75 dogs and 100 cats, all of whom need a good home. I left just feeling awful, and made a pledge to myself that I would go back and volunteer. I don’t recall it ever being this bad before, so I’m just assuming the shelters are feeling the impact of the recession, too. So, if you ever were going to adopt an animal, now would be a great time to do it. I thought I had it made with just Tunch, but I can not describe how much better my quality of life is with the addition of Lily and Rosie. Hell, I can’t imagine not having the threesome, and watching Lily and Rosie come out of their shells has been spectacular.
So think about it, and maybe swing by the shelter and look for a new friend. Right now, alone, surrounded by strange dogs and strange cats, scared, cold, lonely, and just dying for the right human, there might be that one perfect friend sitting there sleeping on concrete, just waiting for you to come by and take him/her home.
And if you have any extra scratch, or towels, or blankets, or want to just help out, but can’t add a pet to the family right now, I’m sure they would just love your donation of money, goods, and time.
Catsy
I hadn’t considered blankets before I saw this. We have an old blanket that we’ve judged too ratty to give to Goodwill, but some dog or cat might love it.
morzer
I’ll second this. Sixteen years ago, I adopted my wonderful cat from a shelter, and she’s brought a lot of joy to myself and to my wife. The shelter closed about two weeks later, and I’ve always been glad I rescued the marvellous beast in time.
General Stuck
If I could, I would buy a country and fill it with dogs and cats.
Ash Can
This is why I keep coming back here. Any place can have intelligence, or humor, or chow, or booze. But this joint has it all, plus heart, and in a big way too. God bless you.
Pixie
John Cole is becoming the Angelina Jolie of animals. Thanks for giving snaps to the shelters. It’s very distressing to see all these cats and dogs without homes. Each animal is a treasure and deserves a life full of love, food, and cuddles.
Violet
Aww…what a great post. You’re a good man, John Cole.
LiberalTarian
I looked at dogs again last night. I’m pretty sure they’d let me bring it to work.
I am worried the cats would go out of their ever kitty minds. I have 4 you know …. I do have a friend coming who has just moved back from New Zealand. If she takes a kitty or two, I’ll probably get a dog. There is one named Daisy that I am just pining for.
morzer
@General Stuck:
Two countries, perhaps? One for each species.
Michelle
I’m where you are — sort of. I have one dog that wants to kill another one of my dogs — one is from a shelter, the other is a cancer surviving stray, and one that was dumped in a public park. That makes three dogs. I have two indoor cats — adopted from the county extermination center — and three outdoor cats — two of which will let me pick them up and give them some loving and scratches — the third is an old tom who has decided he likes my outside kittens and they tolerate him enough to let him live out his senior years with us.
I’m more than maxed out, but seem to be able on my limited salary to support SNAP.
It’s another thing you can do.
Jebediah
We are adopting a little pup right now. We have Otto already (World’s Greatest Dog, for real) and my wife had been thinking of a companion for him. Otto is ninety pounds, she was thinking a small dog, meaning about 20-30 pounds. We ended up with Juno, a chihauhau-something mix (if you ignore the chihauhau bug eyes, she resembles a mini JRT to my eyes) that weighs in at all of seven pounds. Super timid and peeing and pooping inappropriately, although we are starting to get that under control and her personality is starting to show as she comes out of her timidity a bit. I have always considered myself a big dog person, but I am really digging this little nutbag. Anybody wanna see pix?
I am not particularly stoic, which might explain why I get teary every time I think of animals in shelters.
Yutsano
@Jebediah:
Are you new here or something? OF COURSE WE WANNA SEE PIX!!
Cain
95% adoption rate in my town. They go fast. I love my city. Every freaking neighborhood is filled with dogs and cats. They also have some catch and release places (which I think is the way to go)
I think we took a lot of katrina animals as well and found them good homes.
The only sore point was that at one point I think about 5-6 years ago they did a mass euthanasia on all the cats due to some disease. :( :( I felt so sick to my stomach. I hugged my kitties that day.
cain
Something Fabulous
Dude! Do YOU want to write the newsletter for our rescue next month? Could not have put it better, and I’ve been trying for a while. Yes to all of the above: people are relinquishing their pets more, because some situation has developed where they can’t afford them, or can’t move with them; fewer people are adopting, because they worry they can’t afford the upkeep or that they might lose a job soon; AND many of the usual grant sources aren’t giving this year, either because they’ve lost money too or are focusing on human issues. So it’s kind of a perfect storm: more animals and less funds.
So ditto– help, adopting, money, blankets (also towels and newspapers, often), any and all would be fantastic help, wherever you live.
Thanks from an animal rescue on the other side of the country!!
auntieeminaz
@Jebediah: Definitely pictures, please. Teary doesn’t even begin to describe the emotions when it comes to abandoned animals. Blessings to all the wonderful people who rescue these dogs and cats (and other creatures.)
Zuzu's Petals
This might be the time to repeat a call for help from a rural Northern California shelter that is in desperate need:
Home of Bones Pet Rescue president destroyed in fire; many animals lost
The article contains a link to a donation site.
cckids
One of the most rewarding, yet emotionally difficult things I do with my kids is volunteer at the no-kill shelter. So many truly sweet animals needing love & homes. We already have 3 cats & one dog, so no more at home, but it is great to help out.
They have a wing for cats, and unless the animal is sick or very pregnant they just get to wander around. Cat trees & climbing towers everywhere, LOTS of litterboxes , ratty old furniture to perch on & sleep on. For a shelter, it is a very decent place to be a cat. No tiny cages or concrete to sleep on.
My favorite place is the “red-collar” room, where they segregate the cats who can’t be adopted; usually for behavior issues. They can be cranky & unpredictable, but with regular love & visits they open up & are very cool.
Yes, shelters love old ratty blankets or towels. Also laundry soap, bleach, etc.
Good for you, Mr. Cole. Thanks for the reminder.
soonergrunt
And on this note, we have decided not to adopt the rescue Bichon that we thought about, what with the turmoil in our lives right now.
Yutsano
@soonergrunt: This is not a bad thing. In fact, better to let the bichon go to another home where the dear can be taken care of while you take care of yourself. It’s nothing to beat yourself up for.
Jebediah
Yutsano and auntieeminaz –
Fairly new here, but I kinda figured the answer would be yes… but I am dim enough to not know how (or if I am allowed) to post pitchers here.
KG
@Jebediah: i’ve always been a big dog person, but my sister picked up a corgi a couple years ago, and my cousin has a couple of chihuahua mixes, and it is absolutely amazing how fun the little breeds can be.
Violet
@soonergrunt:
Probably the right decision, considering everything you’ve got going on. But once you’re through your surgery and recovering there will no doubt be another furry friend who would be thrilled to join your family.
Hope everything is going okay, all things considered.
soonergrunt
@Yutsano: I really wanted that dog as a companion to our current Bichon, but you’re right, of course. Anyway, it’s a no-kill shelter so maybe he’ll still be there in a couple of months.
Yutsano
@soonergrunt: Or it’s possible there will be another furry critter waiting to come home with you. If the timing is bad the timing is bad period. Plus maybe the little guy will be waiting for you when you’re all healed up.
FoxinSocks
Thanks, John. It is indeed the recession that is causing the shelters to fill up to overflowing, even more so than usual. I live in a very affluent county and they are just being overwhelmed by give-ups due to financial hardship.
I usually have two foster cats at my house at a time, but I stretched myself to take in four, all from the local shelter and scheduled to be euthanized. Meanwhile, adoptions have slowed down to almost nothing. It’s to the point where it’s difficult to adopt out even kittens.
So yes, please help any way you can. The good news is that we’re seeing more people offering to volunteer and more people who understand the importance of spaying and neutering their pets. And I know it sounds silly, but this is why I’ll support the Dems in the upcoming election, no matter how disappointed I am that they seem to have given up on fixing the economy. Because if the GOP gains control of Congress, the economy will be in even worse shape and more innocent animals will suffer.
Jebediah
@KG:
Yes! Juno really bonded with my wife first, and when she came through the door, Juno would turn into a whirling dervish of joy and excitement, spinning from one end of the couch to the other.
I am looking forward to the two pups snuggling up together…
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
We adopted a chihuahua/dachshund mix a few months ago as our second dog that we’re pretty sure was given up because the owner couldn’t take care of it. Other than him thinking he’s a cat – likes to walk on the back of the couch and sleep in the corners, and has a rough tongue – he gets along great with our other dog, all of the kids, and pretty much any other dog we’ve introduced him to.
The shelter we got him from was so crowded with animals that we had to take it outside just to see what it was actually like. The barking was so loud I couldn’t think. I had to tell my kids that we could only take home one animal, even though the cats were cute (and the fact that I’m allergic to cats had a part in that, even though I like them a lot).
kdaug
We picked up this little monster about two months ago. Not exactly a stray, but she was born on a ranch, kept outside in the Texas heat, and none of the dogs (including the mother) were ever taken to a vet.
Had the full ringworm & tapeworm thing going on, and has some ocular/auditory development delays from the leaching parasites – if you look at the picture, you can see that her eyes didn’t align correctly.
Fortunately she’s much better now, took her to the vet again today for third Lepto, second Parvo, and fecal test (negative). She’s gone from about 7 lbs to 33, her vision is clearing up, she still has trouble locating the source of a sound but we’re working on it.
Best part – she and our 100 lb Golden Retriever fell in love with each other immediately. The hardest part about getting her to the vet the first time was trying to convince Murphy that, no, he couldn’t come with us, but that we’d be right back.
This is the kids in a kiddie pool weekend before last.
VladCat
I have a houseful of adopted from our shelter. I also have semi-ferals at work I care for and am trying to get spayed/neutered. I took one male kitty with long hair home as he was too handsome to bear seeing with wounds, a fucked up coat, or far worse. He’s a real talker and goofy character. Just had to take him home to the others.
I donate to shelters and always get my animal friends from them, but I have also become an advocate for Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) programs for true ferals like Alley Cat Allies promotes http://www.alleycat.org I think it is the most humane thing to do rather than just wiping them out. Many cities and Veterinary associations are slowly starting to agree with and support it as well.
Cain
@VladCat:
I agree completely. It is the most humane thing to do. Just make sure they don’t breed anymore unwanted animals.
cain
Jebediah
@kdaug:
The new addition looks very sweet – I love the pool pic!
Anne Laurie
@Jebediah: Email me a picture of Otto and Juno, and I’ll post it in a “Pet Rescue Post”. We haven’t had any of those recently, but I’d love to remedy that!
Ross
Looking up my local animal shelter now. You’re a good man, Cole.
Jebediah
I will have to put some pictures of the pups on flicker or picarsa or what-not… I am at work; I’ll have to wait till I get home. If this thread has petered out by then I will have to wait for the next pet or open thread and pounce then… I hope I haven’t oversold the cuteness – I’d hate to be a let-down…
Jebediah
@Anne Laurie:
Thank you! I just sent some to you. I hope I didn’t send too many – I know you said “a picture” but it’s hard to narrow it down when they all look so cute to me.
And of course, now you know my real name and email – is that like knowing a demon’s real name, where you can summon me to do your bidding?
Batocchio
No pets allowed in my apt, but a donation ain’t a bad idea. On the human side, the local food banks can always use help, too. And then there’s Pakistan… Sheesh. It can all get overwhelming, but every little bit does help.
asiangrrlMN
@Jebediah: Cannot wait to see. Most definitely drop a Flickr stream in a future open thread. We are all about the animals here.
@kdaug: Your little one is gorgeous. Seems like she’s gone through a lot already. Love the pool pic (and yes, that’s me commenting).
@Batocchio: True dat. However, I find that it’s best to pick a few causes that I really believe in and focus on those. Each person can only do so much.
Cole, you are a good man. Thank you for this post. Both my boys are foster babies (born in captivity to a stray mom), and I donate to various rescues when I can.
Something Fabulous
@kdaug: Love it! Looks to me like the golden is saying, “Here, honey, why don’t you let me hold down this pool for you for a bit. Go to town.” Teamwork!
YellowJournalism
@Pixie:
Maybe like Angelina Jolie, he’ll start an adoption trend among celebrities of the blogosphere. Either that, or he’ll enter into common law marriage with Brad Pitt.
Never thought about the blankets as a donation. I’ll have to look into that.
Please encourage people to spay and neuter pets. It’s not just a Price is Right joke. I can’t stand it when I hear someone say they want their dog or cat to have one litter before they do it. Worse is the family member who let his cat have more than ten litters, until it finally killed the poor puss because she also wasn’t receiving proper vet care.
Jebediah
@YellowJournalism:
That reminds me of an infuriating story I had almost forgotten. Our sadly-departed Daisy was due for spaying, and during the procedure it was discovered that she was in an early stage of pregnancy. I found out later that a neighborhood asshole had let his dog mount Daisy, thinking it fucking hilarious. My wife and I were not present – at that time, we were both working a lot of hours and had another neighbor (who was clearly too passive) walking and playing with Daisy during the day.
There were no health repercussions, thankfully, for Daisy.
asiangrrlMN
@Jebediah: Holy shit. I would be livid. I’m glad Daisy (may she RIP) was OK.
@YellowJournalism: Agreed on the spaying and neutering. We have enough animals in the world.
Jewish Steel
John, you got me with that 3rd paragraph. Me and my girlfriend are going to start volunteering at our local shelter.
I worked in lots of kennels growing up and am completely immune to being grossed out by anything that can come out of any orifice on a dog. So, I’m thinking they’ll find a use for me.
Thanks for the kick in the ass.
Arclite
Grew up with cats, dogs, chickens, goats, and ducks. But I live in a non-pet apartment in the city. My kids would love pets. Maybe if I can afford to live somewhere that allows them, I’ll go to the shelter. It’s hard.
kdaug
@Something Fabulous:
Don’t let me give you the wrong impression – he’s as much a pool hog as she is. But they really love each other.
Murph didn’t even want to let her use his old puppy crate unattended.
(Can you tell I’m a new Flickr user?)
Jebediah
@asiangrrlMN:
Yeah, I was exceeding furious. I hope that wasn’t an indication of how he cared for his own dog. That pooch did not ask to be owned by a ass.
JenJen
It’s posts like this that make me love this blog above most others.
Cole, sent you a great story about my Mom’s first-year anniversary celebration revolving around Sailor the Shelter Mutt that probably got deleted during The Great Email Purge. Hope so much that the Shelter Mutt Theme will pop back up; yes, I know we’re busy swatting flies and Obama Mosque stories. You’re the reason she took the plunge.
asiangrrlMN
@Jebediah: It actually made me a bit sick to imagine the situation. I’m sure he wasn’t the best of owners. Asshat.
chaseyourtail
Great post John. As soon as my very elderly cat leaves us for kitty heaven, we will adopt another pet. We would do it now but our kitty is very frail and I don’t think she could handle the stress of a new addition to the family. We also have a little dog and we will definitely be getting her a furry sibling (or two) from a shelter in the future.
WVWArch't
Ash Can said it best, “Any place can have intelligence, or humor, or chow, or booze. But this joint has it all, plus heart, and in a big way too.” The heart comes through in every subject you touch from politics to petfriends and everything in between, around, above and below…
You are one of the best resources in the blogosphere!
kommrade reproductive vigor
Another suggestion: If you live in a college town and see a student with a kitten or a puppy, go ahead and kick his ass now. That way when you see the animal wandering the streets at the end of the semester, you won’t have any regrets.
bob h
We have a one-year old black cocker spaniel, rescued from a Pa animal shelter. The cutest dog I have ever had, but still a problem with pee-pee on the rugs.
debit
@kommrade reproductive vigor: YES. I live near the U of M and it seems like at the end of every semester I see a shitload of “Found your cat/dog wandering on Como Ave” notices on Craigslist. Stupid, selfish kids.
Cole, I’ve said it before; I swore after my last dog died over ten years ago that I’d never have another one. Then you got Lily and I saw how much joy she brought you and how much she blossomed. When Chloe blindsided me at the adoption fair, I was primed for it and it only took one look to push me back into dog ownership. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. You’re a good man.
debit
@bob h: Our previous dog was a Cocker. We got her as a puppy and it took two years to totally housebreak her. Lovely animals, but the breed can be, er, difficult. Don’t give up, but also don’t buy any nice rugs or new furniture for a while. Have you tried tethering?
Pasquinade
International Homeless Animals’ Day: Make a Difference
Saturday, August 21
Some suggestions…
Check out local animal groups’ Facebook pages. Often they post about animals in dire need of rescue at the kill shelters, or lists of supplies needed.
Thrift stores are great for blankets, towels, etc., especially if they have 50% off days, like my local stores do. Additionally, I’m always on the look out for cat-related items to brighten the rather dismal environment of the local high kill shelter.
Post notices asking for volunteers at senior housing centers. It could result in more volunteers, and perhaps some adoptions.
Skilled at grant writing?
Digital photography? Get shelter cats and dogs pictures on Petfinder, etc.
Kristine
@kdaug: What a beauty!
Trinity
Thanks Cole. The hubby and I have been debating getting a couple of kittehs for over a year. I think it’s time to put up or shut up.
Gus
We have a full house, but I’ll definitely send a check to one of our local shelters.
Butch
There’s even a problem here in Colorado with abandoned goats, of all things. We have four dogs and six cats (all strays or abandoned) and that maxes us out, but last week we took in two pygmy goats as a companion to our existing pygmy. They had been left in a field. I had forgotten how ornery a young goat can be but they’re a lot of fun.
Alice Blue
@kdaug: What a couple of sweethearts!
Others have already said it, but I’ll add my two cents. This is the best blog with the best host on the intertubes.
Right now we’re maxed out pet-wise (with a dog, 3 indoor cats, 3 outside cats and 5 llamas), but I’m going to get off my ass and start volunteering at our county shelter.
Svensker
@kdaug:
Awwwwww. So cute!
SBJules
@Cain:
95% adoption rate! Terrific. I’m the bookkeeper for a local no-kill dog shelter & this is the toughest year ever for funds to keep going.
Love your pets & give as much as you can to the shelters.
Dog is My Copilot
Thank you for this. It’s heartbreaking to me to think of all the animals that end up in shelters, and many of whom ultimately are euthanized. I preach adoption to everyone I know who is even thinking of getting a pet, as well as not buying from pet stores or online. We have four rescue pups in our household and while it can be frustrating at times, I wouldn’t give them up for all the money in the world.
The Moar You Know
I’ve got to give my cat up; I’m terrified at what is going to happen to her, but I’m left with no other options.
I wish to God you hadn’t put this post up, Cole, but also realize I need to understand the reality of what I’m about to do to my little one.
The guilt is overwhelming.
teak111
Got a dog from the HS, still have em, but its been a real battle for years. He has a poor temperament and is constantly nipping at everyone. We tell visitors to ignore him. Everything the shelter said about his temperament was incorrect. So what to do. And while I feel bad for stray animals in shelters, how can you be sure the dog you get isn’t going to be a total PITA to the family.
Oreo even has a biting ticket, and we can’t take him to the dog park anymore cause he just fights.
Shelters are nice but you could stuck with a bad dog.
ruemara
You are a such a mushy person, Cole. I like. I would adopt another kitty, but if the economy doesn’t shape up and get the Mr a job, I will be homeless after Jan. I gotta start making plans for my current crop of babies. If things change tho, I think I will be adding to the family.
debit
@The Moar You Know: I am so sorry. When I was laid off a few years ago, I came to the very horrific realization I had to sell my horses. I just couldn’t afford board and increasing feed prices any longer while on unemployment. I hope they stayed with the people I sold them to, who seemed nice, but we all know where elderly horses tend to wind up eventually.
I don’t know your situation, or where you are, but would like to help. Would placing her in foster care, as it were, for a few months be an option?
The Moar You Know
@debit: Thanks for the support. It’s not a money situation. I’d feel better about that if it were, oddly enough.
Sadly, foster care is not an option; I’m getting married, and my wife is allergic – as in ‘goes to the hospital allergic’ – and there’s nothing to be done about that. We’ve tried all the drugs. Nothing works. She is even more guilt-ridden about it than I am, insisting that we can’t take her to a shelter, but I’m running out of options here. Taking the wife to the ER every month is not a viable alternative.
The additional complication is that the cat is 12 years old. She’s in excellent health, but…well, she’s 12. Gonna be hard to adopt her out, in spite of her innate cuddliness.
Hob
@General Stuck:
Are you aspiring to be the next Bond villain– the Petaluma cat lady on a global scale?
debit
@The Moar You Know: First, 12 is not that old. Max is 20 and is still going strong despite having all his teeth removed (Stomatitis), a heart murmur, food allergies and the need for IV fluids once a week.
You really have my sympathy; it’s a heartbreaking situation. There’s a shelter here that sometimes posts on Petfinder on behalf of people in similar circumstances. I don’t know if that’s an option for you, of if there are shelters in your area that foster instead of keeping the pets in cages, and that might have space in a foster home for her.
Gus
@The Moar You Know: I’m sorry for your situation, but I believe that a cuddly cat will be adopted regardless of age.
mandarama
@kdaug:
Hey, we have a golden named Murphy too! Love your photos…they are the sweetest, happiest dogs. Our Murph is just that attentive and attached to his CAT siblings…who have perfected the put-upon look as a result.
Jack's dog mama
Some of you know me as Mrs. J. I volunteer at a no-kill shelter. Some of the things shelters need is newspapers with the ads pulled out. Paper towels, cleaning supplies, dry and canned dog and puppy food, dry and can cat food, kitty litter, dog and cat treats and toys. Money is always good but most important is your time if you don’t want to clean our shelter loves people who just sit and hold our animals or walk our dogs the big ones and the little ones. Thank you John Cole for keeping this subject in your blogs.
Jebediah
So here (if I did this right) are some pix of Otto and Juno.
http://picasaweb.google.com/113437644846827983656/OttoAndJuno?authkey=Gv1sRgCK-s8cKPnO6_fQ#
Otto is exceptionally photogenic – I will add some more of him later.
SadieSue
@The Moar You Know:
Where are you, roughly? We might be able to take in another cat if you are anywhere near us or if you can get kitty closer to us. I love older cats (younger ones, too). We have 5 (one of whom is 15) plus my brother’s cat (both he & the cat are living with us at the moment), none of whom are from shelters but all of whom were rescued in one way or anther. Email me at millriverside attt geemail dotdotdot com
And if anyone sees this, could you let TMYK know it’s here?