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| Unnamed: RIP This big boy was found in a ditch, covered in mats. As the photo shows, he had given up. This poor dog, who probably never knew kindness in his life, died in the gas chamber, struggling for air, terrified and unable to escape his fate. At least his suffering is over. As you read this, dogs and cats are dying in gas chambers across the country. Only 7 states have outlawed them. If we are going to allow people to continue "breeding", then shouldn't we at least take these dogs and cats lives in the most humane way possible? |
| Isabella: RIP This lovely little girl died in the gas chamber. Two of us called to say we would take her the night before, but the answering machine malfunctioned and animal control did not get the message. She was gassed first thing in the morning. Mechanical failure cost Isabella her life. So many are not even remembered by photographs, and missed by no one. Unwanted, unloved, and killed in a society that puts no limits on more coming into the world. Due to too many dogs and not enough available homes, countless small dogs are gassed alongside their bigger kin or die by lethal injection in shelters across the country. Bad luck cost Isabella her life in a particularly heinous way. But isn't it the bad luck of all of these dogs and cats to be born in a disposable society that allows greedy, ignorant, and selfish people to "create" even more life, and therefore seal their fate? |
| Meet Pedro The cage above is where Pedro spent the last 12 months. He was in a "no-kill" shelter. Pedro has Congestive Heart Failure, and no one would take the sadness of losing him. Unfortunately, it the sadness of losing him. Unfortunately, it appeared that no one thought about the sadness of appeared that no one thought about the sadness of Pedro spending a year in a little metal cage: bored, lonely, isolated. Thankfully, I was asked to take Pedro, and did so gladly. He is strutting his stuff and having a ball! Pedro may only have months to live, but they will be wonderful months. It will be hard to say goodbye, but how much worse it would have been for him to end his life in that tiny cage. How many innocent lives end up in such a hopeless, miserable existence by well-meaning people. |
| Precious Puppies These two darling puppies were on death row at a Georgia shelter that uses the gas chamber. This particular shelter is notorious since it takes 18 minutes for the animals to die (although some gas chambers take 30 minutes). I can't imagine struggling to breathe for 18 minutes, can you? Properly functioning gas chambers should render the animals unconscious within 15 seconds (still wouldn't be a pleasant 15 seconds, but beats 18 minutes). Unfortunately, many are not functioning correctly, and some shelters still use truck exhaust piped in through a hose. What are we doing? The fact that all of this cruelty, death, insanity, and stupidity is completely avoidable makes it even more difficult to endure! SPAY & NEUTER! Don't breed when every 9 seconds, another companion animal is killed for lack of a home. The puppies above made it. They were sponsored by The Poodle Preserve and taken to a local rescue. I can only hope that they got good homes, since a bad home is worse than a good death. However, it is hard for those of us in rescue to celebrate, when so many do not make it. For each one we can help, thousands die. |
| Doc: RIP Doc lived his entire life in a puppymill. At the age of four, he was placed in an auction. No one wanted Doc, and he was going to be "taken out back and shot" -- the reward for his years of service as a stud dog living in a tiny cage. Finally, a small breed rescue took pity on him, and bid $10 to save his life. Doc spent 2 months having a normal life, and then died from the effects of having 3 rabies vaccinations administered in 3 weeks. I never met Doc, but feel such sorrow at his needless loss. Vaccinations are a necessary evil. While vaccinations have saved untold lives, the careless administration of vaccines have cost many lives as well. Cancer, hepatitis and auto-immune diseases are now rampant in the pet population due to the effects of excessive vaccinations. |
| Sarah This lovely senior Standard Poodle was used as a "breeder" for years. When she could no longer get pregnant, her "owners" were going to shoot her. Thankfully, Sarah Gumke of the La Junta Animal Shelter stepped in and saved Sarah's life. Sarah the poodle is named in honor of Sarah the person. There are many unsung heroes like Sarah Gumke across the country , who sacrifice countless hours and all they have trying to help the innocent. They deal with more sadness, frustration, and rage in a month than most people do in a lifetime. People like Sarah don't take the easy road: their willingness to endure daily tragedy in order to ease another being's pain and fear is inspirational. As for Sarah the poodle, she arrived sad and emaciated, but now radiates with the joy of living. |
| Rescue: Sorrow & Rage |