I'm so sorry!
You can't save them all!
It's the heartbreaking, breathtaking, numbing ...truth!
We can't!
But, Oh my God, I've been on my knees praying we could!
But how do you fix a 9 million pets a year ...problem!
9 Million?!
9 million pets are euthanized every year in American shelters! That's one of the more common numbers. But since most States don't keep track and most shelters don't either... It's a frustrating guesstimate.
For you math geniuses: That's roughly 1.5 animals every second; or so I've been told. I don't count! It hurts too much!
Playing God!
When the toughest of us go into shelters to pull upon requests (mainly transporters or 'pullers') or rescue representatives pull those they deem adoptable, I'm sure most feel like I do: Which one do I take and which one do I leave behind to die!
With shelters full with the kittens/puppies from those that won't fix their animals and too many given up for a variety of often lame reasons, you can't take them all! There is simply not enough room to take them all!
But what do you do to decide who to take and who to leave behind? And how do you deal with it?
About half of mine are those unwanted for behavior. And behavior is for the most part just a matter of time, training and patience. Most of mine would fail the 'First Impression' test and die! The other half is those that nobody wants due to superficial reasons; the old, the lame, the striped, the black, the physically not so pleasing...
You are playing God!
It is a sickening feeling and one that leaves me in tears too many days! You know that those you don't take usually die! But you know your own limits! Time, money, space, their vices versus those of all those unwanted you already have.
I took several of those unwanted in within the last years. And when I couldn't... yes, the old, ugly, stripped, black... died!
It sometimes leaves you with a feeling of lonesomeness. "Why aren't there more of me?" There are! But not enough!
Rescues have to have a healthy mix of adoptable and hard-to-adoptable ones. Or they go out of business. People like Mia and her Pitbulls; there aren't enough Mia's out there! Most rescues have to adopt out to make money. Most independent rescues even more! And those like me that take the unwanted.... We don't have room until somebody leaves us for good!
But that's not what we want!
So when you see the websites full of animals at 7:29 on their last day; or see the RIP post on Facebook; read the 'euthanized' in that email you hate so much...
What do you do?
I belief that God had something in mind when he did what he did; despite the fact that I am often at odds with him about letting those innocent animals die and keeping murderers and such alive! Allowing a Michael Vick to do unbelievable things and than allowing stupid people to make him our 'entertainment' (Yes, convicted criminals as 'entertainment'!) and have places like Subway (I stopped eating there!) sponsor him.
I keep asking him: "Why?" and I never seem to get a satisfying answer.
So what do you do?
You try again! There are others waiting! You can't save them all!
You may not be able to save all of them, but for that one you saved, you mean the entire world!
And if it gets too hard sometimes, take a breath. Take a break!
You can't quit! There aren't enough of you and too many of those that don't care!
"If not you, who? If not now, when?"
There are others waiting that need you!
Crosspost, pull, drive, foster, volunteer, sponsor, donate.... They still need you!
