Wednesday, April 21, 2010

From a Stray's Point of View

I am not sure what would have happened to me if I hadn’t found mom. While the tough brindle in me thinks that I would have survived for a long time, the other side of me acknowledges that I was tired a lot and didn’t feel good. Mom doesn’t know what happened to me before I found her; I am not sure if I will ever tell her—but she guesses that some people were very nice to me while others were cruel.

Where I am from, it is common to see dogs (and some cats) wandering around and looking for some food or something to do. I don’t know what happened to my littermates, but the chances are great that they did not survive. Seven dogs and cats are born every day for each person born in this country, and 4/5 of those end up as strays or in shelters according to the Humane Society of the United States. It is estimated that there are between six and eight million homeless animals entering shelters in the United States every year. Half get adopted while the other half are euthanized.

Spaying and neutering a dog or cat is not cruel or inhumane; rather, it is responsible ownership. A dog or cat can find its way out of the house or yard only go come home pregnant or have fathered a litter. People tend to adopt or buy puppies and kittens more than an adult dog or cat. But even these young animals can find their way into an animal shelter. Having your dog or cat neutered or spayed means that you aren’t contributing to the burden of unwanted pets. Neutered animals will be less likely to feel the urge to roam and mark its territory, reducing the risks of fights, injury, property destruction, and accidents.

Having been a stray, I know what it is like to be unwanted. Mom took me to the local humane society when I got neutered. Mom said that I was under scholarship and that they did neutered me for free because I was a stray. Even if I hadn’t been under scholarship, I would have told her that she should neuter me. I was really tired after the surgery, but mom took really good care of me. I had to wear a cone so I could let the wound heal. There was a change in me, I felt. I was much calmer, and still a happy puppy that loves to play. I was much more easygoing than I had been before. I am glad that I won’t be making any unwanted brindles. Unless people spay and neuter their animals, most of the dogs and cats born won’t live happily ever after like me.

1 comment:

  1. so true! we hear ya! sienna was a breeder dog and got dumped at the shelter after giving birth. no idea where the pups are. zuki was unneutered and he acted wild and finally calmed down a bit. if he wasn't neutered he may have ran away after a girl dog. neutering and spaying is the responsible thing to do.

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