I made 50 billion typos I'm editing this in after I reread it... I just realised how huge it is and i don't want to fix all the typos! so i hope that the typos don't screw up how you read it! lol!!

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I HOPE YOU LIKE TO READ! HAHAHAHA



I don't except everybody to read this .. It's just a very important and touchy subject for me, so I don't take it lightly. This is only for those that would like to know more reasoning behind the kill policies at shelters. It's also my personal advice before you decide to put up for adoption, and what to expect and be responsible for when adopting, so as to avoid abandoning your newly adopted animal. It is very long yes I know, but I want to say as much as I can if it will help save an animal's life or make it to where they don't end up in the shelter.... I used to work with a shelter that had a one year kill policy. If you don't want to read it well then, I'm praying that you please just take a second and think before you adopt or give away an animal. It's not only your worries on the line, you're also responsible for the animal. Animals have feelings and you should always think about how an animal will feel when they are involved, not just yourself. If you can't take FULL responsibilty I don't believe you should have the right to keep an animal, and that responsibilty also means making sure that a shelter is the LAST resort! Shelters are there for people who are not physically, mentally, financially able to care for their pet. It's not for someone to give up their animals to to take the easy way out, do what is needed to try to fix what you don't like about them before you give up on them. They don't ever give up on you no matter what you do to them, even abandoning them they will still love you. You should love them as much as you'd love a child, because they love you as if you were their parents.


Hey... I just thought I'd shed some light on why shelters REALLY put animals to sleep. I used to work in one, so maybe I can give you my opinion on animals. First off, a shelter should be a last choice for your animal to go. We tell everyone that comes in wanting to put an animal up for adoption that we suggest trying other means before you come to us. I also believe when told about other means, that you should take responsibilty because you chose that animal (and most likely gave attention or fed the stray that stuck around) and it's your responsibility to go out and try to find a good home. You first off, shouldn't take chances in waiting for your animals to be spayed or neutered, because yet again, that is a responsibility you chose to except when you bring an animal, or strays in your case into your life. Well, ok let's face it, *hit happens right? sometimes we don't predict these things before they happen, and let's face it, it's hard to cut off 16 animals hehe! In seeing what animals go through in shelthers I give suggestions to any people who come to us as to better solutions, though it might require effort on their part. An easy one though is to find an animal santuary rather then a shelther/hospital. Santuary's activily look for homes for animals brought to them, and accept all animals that are not sick, but will except animals if you previde medications and easy means of caring for a sick animal, so long as it's not contagious. They do work with sick animals, but only from rescues, not from adoptions. They have no kill policies which right there would be my first choice if I had to do the sad did of putting an animal up for adoption. There is also places, I can't remember what they are called, but if you ask around to pet owners that had to give away animals, they might know. They are events that are usually held in bigger cities (i believe if you live in a small town that you should take the time to drive to find these events because yet again it's your responsibility).. what they do make it to where you can bring animals that might need training and you do this till they are good animals that someone would WANT to adopt. Shelters have to pay for their trainers and you should be willing to pay us we can't train your pet for free, and you shouldn't put a mean/naughty animal up for adoption, because you and i both know that no one will take it, and if they do, when they see how the animal acts they will take it right back. That hurts the animal when things like that happen, it doesn't know it's bad and all it know is that no one likes it. DO NOT adopt an animal without putting money into training if you are having problems, and if you can't afford it, don't adopt a problem animal, and if you ask, like you should, shelters and other means of adoptions will tell you if the animal has issues. Most shelters also offer a package deal, which makes it cheaper if you buy food, training, and other pet supplies, it is pricey, but if you want to love an animal you should be willing to pay the price. It'll be alot better for you and the animal if you put that money up front instead of say...learning the hard way and having to buy a new couch because you can't get it to stop tearing your furniture up. That couch will be worth more then the packages they offer when you adopt. I don't know why they don't make it mandatory for you to have these things. I guess because not everybody cares enough to think ahead about what happens if they take in a problem animal and get upset when they do something that makes you mad. Anyway, other means of adoption. Take responsibility and don't expect someone else to do the dirty work (shelters) and find a home for your pet YOU decided to give up. Put fliers up, laundry mats work the best I heard! everybody reads em when they fold their close! Ask local stores if you can post fliers. ALSO put fliers in shelters before you take them there offering any shots they may need, and also, if it's because of behavior, offer to pay the training cost. Shelters sometimes offer training at very low cost, it should be something you consider when trying to give your pet to someone else. If you don't want a bad animal who else does? I bet you'll have a better shot at offering to pay the training for free if needed. 1/4 people adopt an animal with a behavior problem (usually says the problem on the paper when you adopt) and if you don't tell the shelter it has a behavior problem such as aggresiveness towards all other humans, or even worse, a specific sex. That will endanger not only employees caring for it, but also people who may think it's cute. On top of serious injuries, WE could get in trouble if a person wanting to pet the animal gets injured (what happens if it bites of a kids hand if you failed to tell us it doesn't like kids? we won't know till it's too late) because you choose not to tell the problems to us. We would know about the problems and if it's a small one, believe it or not, nice people like me, I put out of pocket money (i'm not asked to, i do it on my own) towards the cost of shots if I can afford it. anytime though the issue is small such as potty training, damaging house hold items, little things, I put as much money as I can towards it, just because it gives the animal more of a chance of going home. Not all people at animal shelters that put to sleep are cruel! Maybe even try going to your kids school on parent teacher day with litters you can't take care of. It worked when I was little, I asked my mom to do that once when we had 3 extra puppies then the ultra sound showed. Anyway, the reason we put a time limit (not my choice for how long the limit is, it may be extended under certain circumstances) is because when an animal does not get adopted for a year (that's our normal limit) we believe that because over a hundred people come in daily to view the animals, if it's not chosen then it won't be. Animals are very very very miserable in shelters no matter how much attention I try to give them. I was the person assigned to feed, clean, care for the animals we had but no matter if I worked 12 hours a day, each animal only gets maybe 10 minutes of personal attention every day. We usually have a full house which means I can't remember, but over 100 pets and sometimes more during holidays when peole board their animals while they are on vacation. With my other duties such as cleaning and feeding and watering (watering takes 2 hours in it self, to give you an idea) cleaning takes about 3, and feeding about 1 hour...that leaves 2 hours to give 100 dogs a walk, sometimes I can't even let them all out for 10 minutes, no matter how fast I work. Sometimes I stayed overtime without pay to walk the dogs that didn't get walked during my shift. I usaully spent my lunch break eating a granola bar for 2 minutes and downing a soda as fast as i can. My break is when I get to sit down with say, an animal that might seem sadder then usual. I love animals, but no matter how much I love them I can't make them all happy. They are VERY miserable being cramped into a space the size of a small apartment bathroom all day and night. I used to believe, before working there, that kill policies were cruel. Then I understood, I now see that no kill shelters keep those animals in misery till they die...which really sucks haha. If I had to chose between living in a shelter and being put to sleep if no one took me home, I'd chose going to heaven. We don't want our animals to suffer more then they need to. I cried every day, more then once on some occasions. I see how animals come in happy thinking their owners will come back for them. Every day you just see that hope in their eyes die. A happy animal has a glow in their eye and over time, they lose it. Not meteophorically(can't spell that! lol) but their eyes sort of glaze over, their color becomes dull. Their fur loses sheen. They make themselfs sick from being so miserable. We keep our animals healthy and well fed but if you are forced to live out your life in a cage with 10 minutes a day you'd be miserable to. Animals start to think that they did something to deserve being abandoned, and eventually go from trying to get peoples attention when they are searching to adopt, to flat out sleeping their day away. It really is like prison, in prison they feed you good, let you get out for some excersice but you live in a cage, just like the animals do. Shelters pay for as much as we can but we can only do so much. Putting them to sleep is in my eyes after we know that nobody will take them, is really better then keeping them for the rest of their life because it doesn't get easier to deal with for them, it gets worse over time. Seeing a sad animal breaks my heart, and I'd much rather, if no one takes it, send it to a better place. It's torture keeping them alive in those conditions, we give them blankets people donate during winter, extra water during summer...treats every day, a bit of petting. Really though they aren't happy. Might seem that they can deal with it till they die. Though unless you see first hand how animals personality changes the longer they stay. I have to follow people who want to look at the animals and everytime I see an animal that's been there for months, and tries it's cutest and hardest to get every person's attention that comes bye.... The worst thing in the world is actually hearing their cry change from a happy come take me home bark, to more of a wailing very very sad bark. Dogs cry, you just don't realise it till you work here. On my breaks I take my time to connect with some the new animals having to except the fact that their owners aren't coming back. They wimper and look at me and I can tell they want me to take them home, everyone of them looks at me that way when I come sit with them. Not one of them doesn't beg me with their eyes to take them out of this hell. I mean I wish I could take them all out, but I can't. If I see an animal nearing it's deadline without being adopted, I will go out and try to find a home for it, or when people come to us and are browsing, I make a special point about that animal. Sometimes I can convince someone to take it home if it's not the cutest animal there. Even got some people to take animals home if I offered training (i say it comes it with, but really, that's when the money comes out of my pocket) I put my own hard earned money to help animals get into a better home. Some though not all shelters advertise animals that have a month or so to go before they are put to sleep. It's not a rule, the employees do this on their own. None of us are required to! It's just a matter of taking it upon your self to at least give an animal more of a chance at a good home. You shouldn't expect us to do this for you, we really are only required to feed and water and walk the dogs. Out of the kindness of hour hearts, and overtime hours, and money out of our pockets... we pay for treats, toys, blankets(if enough don't get donated, because blankets get ruined, we can't keep all we get, we buy lots every year if we don't have enough for every dog), training if it's a problem animal (and if it's a big issue, we all chip in for it). I've put in numerous overtime hours, most without pay, to try to give each dog attention. I'm not the only one who does this. I worked with another kennel opperator, who didn't go as far as me, but would rush and overwork himself just like i did, that way we would have more time to walk all the dogs. When someone puts their dog up for boarding (temporary) we get in trouble if we don't tell them that we walk their dogs for an hour. It's really only like 20 minutes for each dog, and to make sure all the dogs are let out, we care enough to pay attention and test and see which dogs are good with others, or friendly, that way we could let them out at once and run around. I doubt if animal shelters really were as bad as we get a rep for, then we wouldn't notice things like which animals like eachother. Animals unless requested by the people who abandoned or board get put into seperate kennels. It's not required to make sure that each animal has someone to play with a few minutes a day. It takes a long time, and patience to figure out which animals like eachother. I do honestly believe that being put to sleep is necessary, because it's proven no kill shelters animals don't live very much longer then a year anyway. It's funny how in no kill shelters, healthy happy animals I've heard and researched 60% of them don't live a full life. Their health usually detiorates over their stay. We test our animals regularly to make sure that it's not our fault for sickness. They strangly develop sleeping disorders, and sometimes refuse to eat, and other things not really associated with the living situations. It's proven not only mentally but physically it's hell for animals. As many times as I've cried comforting and petting an animal that's being put to sleep, I like to make them feel loved and I look them in the eye when this is happening. I've sorta got this connection with animals since working there. You can see it in their eyes that they trust you, and it's just like going to sleep, no pain, only their can't move anything while it's happening their brain is the last to go. You can see that they are scared when they get the shot, but I do see that when I look them it the eye it changes from fear to trusting me with what's happening. I feel good about that. On the other hand, I don't feel good that no kill shelters can watch their animals slowly die, and that's really what it is, they don't die from being old the majority of the time, they die from being sad, and you can see it, even over a years time like it is with us. I know this is really really more effort into the subject then some of you believe that is worth it. I believe that no amount of words can really truely explain my opinion. Just please, don't bring your animal you decide to give up to us unless it's a last resort, because anyone will tell you that works in a shelter, this is no dog/cat hotel. You are fully to blaim when you find out an animal you ABANDONED (unless you're sick or old or something, ya know a good excuse) got put to sleep, I'm not saying it was wrong, maybe life under your roof with the conditions might have been worse for them. Just think to yourself because you abandon an animal for say, behavior....Would it really not be worth the money to train an animal, because unless it bit your kids hand off, there is nothing that can't be fixed for a reasonable price. No animal should be punished because you can't take care of it's behavior issues. If an animal doesn't know something is wrong then how can you blame it? There is no BAD animal, only bad owners. Of course, if you didn't realise the choices you had, ok then, it's not your fault either. Would you put your kid up for adoption because it ripped up your furniture? No, because you love it, and you know it's your responsibility. You know that while it's a child, that it's behavior is your responsibility. This also goes with animals that you adopt. You should not ever adopt an animal that you wouldn't be willing to care for no matter the price, or the effort, or the time it may take, because you'd do that for a child. Wouldn't you hate it if you heard that a kid was being beaten with newspapers when it's too loud, or got put outside for the night if it peed on your good carpet? Well, an animal in a family should be treated as equal as a family member, or that family shouldn't have a pet. What gives anbody the right to treat any creature like that? Really if you have any common sense after reading this, you'll take time to think and research the options you have before you adopt or abandon an animal. If you're thinking of adopting or taking an animal of the streets, be prepared to pay and be patient with that animal. If you didn't get it when it was a baby, then there's bound to be some struggle in being a grown animal into your house. If this animal was perfect I doubt that it would have been abandoned unless the previous owner was not physically, mentally, or financially able to care for it. Expect there to be something you'll have to be patient with. If you are willing to deal with some behavior issues but aren't sure how to go about it. First off, ask around, and ask shelters, they'll tell you what you can do to help if you can't afford to pay for proffesional training. If you don't have the time to do this then a pet is not for you, simple as put. You should be able to devote as much time to your animal as you would to a child, because in all means, an animal looks to you for protection, love, and most of all patience when they do a nono, just like a child. Really I can't stress enough (OBVIOUSLY) how important it is that you be ready and prepared to DEAL WITH what comes your way when you bring a new animal in to your house. I doubt anyone would put a kid up for adoption for the same stupid reasons they put animals up for adoption. It's not an animals fault if they do something wrong, and just so you know, you make it worse if you scold and punish them. Animals don't learn from being punished, they most likely just develop other issues on top of what they have. It's very easy, reward an animal for good behavior, and they will try to please you more often. Scolding such as raising your voice, or taking away what they are messing with that they shouldn't be is something you might have to do. If you must discipline your dog/cat let it be with removing the object from them, or placing them in another room (like as a time out), or just saying NO when they do bad things, NEVER with pain, don't hit an animal unless they are going to injure you in some way, never use force against something that wouldn't hurt you. If you're going to discipline your animal, do so right after the wrong act is wrong, if you can, catch them while they are doing it. If it's more then a minute since they've done something wrong they won't contect your punishment to the wrong deed and will just think you're being mean for some reason, usually causing it harder to accomplish good behavior. Give them treats when they do good things. I can't tell ya much about training, but I've learned that discipline without reward usually doesn't come out well. If the animal is just plum scared of you though then it's not good either, because that might result in injury one day when you discipline them. Gotta teach em what's right before they quit what's wrong. Eh... there is nothing that you shouldn't be willing to do to avoid abandoning it. It's not the shelters fault when they have to put to sleep an animal. The majority if the animals that get abandoned sometimes get abandoned for such a simple reason as marking and peeing, which can be solved from fixing them. If you can't afford the operation then don't take the animal under your care. It hurts the animal more then it does your pocket when you choose to give up on them rather then pay up for what you SHOULD. The animal shouldn't have to feel that way because you were careless enough when taking them in, not to expect to have to pay for something more then the food or litter they use. They don't say dogs and cats are easy to take care of, they say they require patience, understanding, UNCONDITIONAL love, and basic care. They don't ever tell you all you need is food/litter when you get an animal. If you aren't sure how to take care of an animal find out before you take it in, because even 2 days with you, and you taking it back to the shelter because it's too much of a handful will damage their personality, and lessen their trust in humans everytime it happens. There will be a point to where someone ends up with an animal that's soooo used to being taken back to the shelter that they will be aggressive towards any human that tries to take them home because they know they'll have to go back. It hurts them and damages their personality and behavior more and more, and makes it that much harder for the next person to provide the care needed for that animal. The animals that get put to sleep are animals like those that have been taken and returned so many times that, even if someone tries to take them home, they bring them right back a few days later because the problems they have are so bad that it actually is beyond any reasonable means of help. An animal isn't born wanting to bite your hand off, a HUMAN did something to cause them to behave that way. And if we caused the behavior a little bit of patience and love can fix it, but we have to be willing to pay the price with what we sacrifice on the way. The last thing that should be an issue is money unless you can't afford it. If you're eating out more then once a week, you can stop that, and save it to put towards toys (which help in behavior, such as furniture chewing, if they don't have toys then they will tear at whatever is easy to ruin) put the money towards training your pet.. and spend the time you were gonna eat out instead just eating a sandwich and giving some love to your pet. Most behavior issues can be solved by giving them more attention. Did you know that if a cat or dog chews and tears and claims your favorite heal or boot as their own it's usually because the item has value to them because it was yours. You ever wonder why when you go out of town for a day or two and leave a house sitter with your pets that when you come back, not in all cases, but some, your find your personal articles, clothing and shoes burried in the litter box or torn to shreds and buried in the yard? Or maybe your find your sock or other article in the food or water bowl? Maybe even bit or scratched your favorite chair? it's because they missed you, they tear at your stuff because it smells like you, and that's the only thing they can find that makes them happy while you're gone? if you find your shoe in the litter or back yard it's because both cats and dogs bury their favorite items so no one else can find it. maybe it's in the yard or the litter because they didn't want the house keeper to find it? because in their eyes you're their human and visa versa, just like a favorite chew tow, if they miss you from work or vacation or whatever, instead of the toy they like, they will want to play with something of yours... and it usaully means ruining it whether they realise it or not. dogs love shoes because that's what smells most like you, funny how your stink is what they like the most eh? but if they want to get their smell on your shoe then they usually do it by biting at it drooling and burying it all their favorite hiding places. stop and think before you throw your ruined show at their head when you see it, and realise that they just missed you. go ask the shelter or get them trained on how to go about other means of coping with your absense before you get mad. it's already to late for punishment because the deed was done, they won't know why you are punishing them, trust me. punishing will just make them try harder to get your attention next time your gone, because they'll think they didn't chew up enough of your stuff to make you happy. you'll just lose your other pair of shoes if you scold em. God I'm rambling I just wanted to try to explain to everyone's replies putting them to sleep isn't wrong, it's really the only thing they have left, and we don't like animals to suffer, and that we do on our own time try to get homes outside of the people who come looking for animals. Just do what I said and try your other choices if you have to give up an animal! If it can be fixed then try and fix it before you give them up, because if you don't want them for a bad reason, no one else will want it! so now that you know when you put an animal up for adoption because of behavior, just remember that you are to blame if it gets put to sleep. If I could make a law it wouldn't be that you can't abandon animals, it would be that you aren't allowed an animal if you wouldn't put all effort into loving that animal. Try looking at it this way, if your life depended on it, could you give this animal the attention it needed? If there was even one hesitation in your mind even a split second, wait.....NO.... if you even had to ask yourself that question, then a pet is not for you.