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"The animals have no voice but ours..." |
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Make it for Life March 14, 2008 So look, I understand doing things without thinking. Heck, in some respects, that could be the title of my biography. I had a little shopping spree this weekend and found some shoes. Come on, they’re shoes! How is a person supposed to resist cute shoes? So maybe I purchased some shoes without really thinking about the strain on the wallet. Oh, but you should see them… I’ve bought CDs on a whim before because I liked one song and ended up regretting it when the rest of the tunes weren’t as catchy. Oh and I’ve absolutely impulsed a lot of food at the grocery store. Especially when I’m hungry. I mean how is a person supposed to resist sour cream and onion potato chips when the old stomach rumbles at the Utz label? I ask you. And Taco Bell. Good night am I a glutton at Taco Bell. But the photos of the food…and the cheesy goodness…it’s all too much to pass up. Everyone does it at one time or another – you think you want something and instead of stopping to consider all the ramifications, you just go out and get it. It’s an impulse purchase and usually the only person who ends up hurt in the end is you. However, (and by now, you really must have heard this coming) when an impulse concerns an animal, that’s when my hackles rise. One of the toughest aspects of working at an animal shelter is finding the right person to give a forever home to our four-legged babies. It’s a huge responsibility to take on a pet and if an adopter isn’t really aware of that – if they haven’t truly thought the decision through – it can end quite badly. We recently had a mixed breed dog here who was a bit of a special case. Nice girl, but could be a bit jumpy, excitable, not necessarily housetrained – needed some help to become a great pet. We had a lady come in and swear this was the dog for her. Our shelter manager spoke to this woman for nearly an hour, talked about the behaviors we had noticed in the dog, said she was going to take some serious work. Our shelter manager even suggested there might be another dog in our kennels who would be a bit more suitable for the customer in question. The woman assured us that she had felt something when the pup looked at her. They had made a lifelong connection. It would work out. We decided to take a chance to get this four-legged girl a home. You may want to have a seat for this one…the dog came back to us today. You want to know why? Because she ripped up the house, went to the bathroom when left alone, and generally didn’t behave. Some lifelong connection, huh? It lasted about four months. Here’s the thing, I understand impulses. I do. You get lonely. You see an ad on the television for an adorable little pup and think, “That’s what I need.” So you race out to the animal shelter. That’s fine. We’ve all been there. But for the love of heaven, please, and I can’t stress this enough, please at least LISTEN to what the shelter staff is trying to tell you. When a decision you’re about to make on a whim involves another life, take at least one second to really think about what you’re doing. Look, I bought shoes this weekend that I really didn’t need and probably shouldn’t have purchased (although I do thoroughly love them) and you know who it really hurt? Me. My wallet. I’ll have to work a few extra hours at my second job to pay for them. When I gorge myself on burritos and tacos and Mexican pizzas, what does it hurt? My cholesterol reading and my blood pressure. Me. It hurts me. You know who that woman’s impulse decision four months ago really hurt? That poor four-legged girl who tonight will have to sleep in a kennel, looking through the wires at other discarded pets, wondering what in the world she did to be tossed away so thoughtlessly when just last night, she slept in the comfort of a house and had her own bowls and food and bed. That’s who it really hurt. So please, if you’re considering bringing an animal into your home and you want to make that lifelong connection, please be absolutely sure that no matter what, your commitment is for exactly that. Life. ***** Jennifer Vanderau is the Director of Communications for the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter and can be reached at cvasoc@innernet.net. The shelter accepts both monetary and pet supply donations. For more information, call the shelter at 263-5791 or visit the website www.cvas-pets.org. Animals available for adoption can be viewed at www.petfinder.org. CVAS also operates thrift stores in Chambersburg and Shippensburg. Help support the animals at the shelter by donating to or shopping at the stores.
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CVAS, Inc.