Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Personal Essays

1. Something that I care or am very passionate about.

2. Make sure to go hard on the details.

3.
-Make connections
- Avoid philosophical rants
-Check Spelling


I’ve never been one to give my opinion so openly about any subject. But as this is something I care passionately about, I will give it. Dog pounds have always held a bad place in my memory after we lost my dog and he was impounded and treated like dirt. I honestly don’t like them, nor do I think they should exist in any way, shape, or form.

Now, dog pounds and facilities might say something along the lines of: “Well we give them homes as long as we can, some are picked up and fostered or taken care of.” But the fact of the matter is HOW they are treated. They lay on bare cement in too cold or too hot rooms, are not given the required attention they need, and many get depressed. In no case except extreme should a dog be put down.

I believe shelters are more effective. If allowed, building more shelters could help provide not just a place to stay, but a temporary home for these dogs that are lost. If no one adopts a dog, instead of putting it down, you let it live a long and happy life on a dog ranch. These dogs are every bit as important as we are.

Money wise, I realize that there are costs such as dog food, crate material, dog bedding, toys, and so forth. However, events could be held to raise money for the shelters. With fun activities involving the dogs, you could raise money in no time at all. People, especially dog lovers, are willing to contribute to give these animals the home that they deserve.

I do know that this isn’t an easy process. Putting pounds out of business isn’t everyone’s idea of a good thing to do. I also get that doing this could anger some people. Not every dog is the friendliest, but that doesn’t mean they should be shoved aside, forgotten, and put down. This just means a new course of action. As long as you have time and good work ethic, good homes for dogs cannot be far behind.

When pounds are filled to capacity, they start turning away animals, and in turn, those animals are killed cruelly. Dumped on roadsides and left to starve, sometimes giving birth to litters that no one will want. The ones that are taken in, if they are lucky, find a permanent home, and the others are euthanized.

Dogs taken into pounds are often previously used as fight dogs, or racing dogs, or maybe they just weren’t wanted anymore. I’ve always felt strongly that strays should be taken care of and fostered instead of dumped into a metal cage and neglected for however long they have until they are put down. Dog pounds are awful.

Animals are turned away more often then not, including the extreme cases. The cases of abuse and neglect are typically more severe. For example, one owner who turned in three dogs said: “It was either this or shoot them.” Animals die slowly and cruelly on the streets more often then not.

In San Antonio, which is striving to be a no kill city, the bodies of nearly 16,000 dogs and 12,000 cats were picked up off the streets. Some animals will spend months or even years in cages, neglected. According to experts, as little after two weeks the animals can begin to deteriorate emotionally and psychologically. They can become withdrawn, depressed, aggressive or anxious. If adopted, animals who have been confined for a while will often be returned because of behavioral issues.


To increase save rates, some shelters will encourage abandonment. One sanctuary released a news issue encouraging people to abandon kittens on the street instead of taking them to a shelter. That leaves the cats open to infections and diseases, as well as getting hit by cars and dying slowly. This is why I disagree with pounds and shelters. But sanctuaries and safe shelters should be made and upheld.

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