How Could We Let This Happen?



"Baby" Picture taken from "For the Love of the Dog" blog post

 I have pondered whether to write this post or not, going over and over again in my head as to whether the stories I am about to tell you about are just sad outliers in a host of happy endings and should, therefore, be considered simply the endings that didn't work out?  Or, if this is a trend happening within the organizations which have always carried a very high position in my own personal ratings.  The first case in point is the story of  "Baby", a post I came across in a most well written and respected blog, "For the Love of the Dog".  Please read Baby's story, but be ready to have some seriously strong opinions when finished reading.  Also, please join the movement to save this poor animal and sign the petitions available. 

The second story that raised an eyebrow for me was this one, a story of a Navy Wife doing research for a speech which led to her writing this piece.  The story, taken from the blog "Dogs, Cats, and Crap I blog about", another well respected blog and another of my favorite reads, also played a large part on the opinion now starting to form in my little brain.

My question?  How can the ASPCA and Humane Societies that we have known and supported for so long let this happen?  In the story of "Baby", I have the opinion that someone just dropped the ball.  It is unforgivable that this poor creature was given back to the very owners that caused her this agony in the first place.  Throw gasoline on that fire by bringing to point that MANY people offered to take the dog rather than let her go back to what we know will be a tortuous existence!  Yet, the ASPCA turned their backs and allowed this injustice.  Why?  And, why were no charges filed for abuse and neglect in this case? 

The second story in point brings about another type of question.  Sam, the puppy in the story was a very adoptable dog.  He was given "three days" to find a home.  Three days!!!  Somehow, that just doesn't calculate to a fair disposition in the case of a well rounded puppy with no real undesirable traits, with the exception of "he wouldn't stop jumping on his children"......  This was a puppy.  They do puppy things like "jump on the kids"!!! 

The point I am getting at here is that I have never really questioned the actions of the ASPCA or Humane Society.  I know that they are businesses and I'm a business owner myself.  I do understand that there are monetary needs and that there are way too many animals for them to individually care for each and every one and exceptions cannot be made to individual cases regarding their policies.  I realize also that there must be policies in place like the "3 day rule" when it comes to housing these animals.  My point is that I feel that there is a need to review some of these policies.  There are so many shelters and foster homes available.  I do realize that because of the extreme number of dogs being handled by these organizations that other shelters and foster homes also become overcrowded, but, I can't help but think that there should be some way of taking a little extra time on poor defenseless puppies of a very adoptable age that have simply become "disposable" pets.  In the case of Baby, I feel that the ASPCA just dropped the ball.  EVERY effort should have been made to help this poor dog find a loving home.  There were many offered to her.  They simply chose the easy way out to avoid the costs of litigation and doing what should have been done.

We have all been subjected to the relentless commercial spots produced by these organizations with the sad music and sad faces of animals staring at you from inside a cage with a famous spokes person giving a small spot and voice over asking you to make donations to save these animals!  I have seen these ads run over and over again during prime time television spots.  I would like to know the cost of producing one of these ad and what the ASPCA and Humane Society spends to run them during these prime times!  My guess is that they are NOT inexpensive.  I realize the importance of getting their message across, but, I do feel that these well produced commercial spots may be a little "over-the-top".  These organizations have been around forever and I don't believe that the constant barrage of expensive commercials is going to get the word out any faster or make any real point.  Most people are well aware that these organizations exist and the people that end up watching these spots and paying attention to them are folks like ourselves who are well aware of how crowded the shelters are and that they do NEED financial help.  Perhaps the money would be better spent paying for the litigation necessary to ensure that Baby went to a good solid home to live out the rest of her sad and tortured life!  Some of the money could be used to take a little more than THREE DAYS to find no kill shelters to house the adoptable puppies that surely would find homes if just given the time for people to find them! 

As I said, I am really questioning the motives of these organizations at this point.  I'd like to find out how everyone else feels about this too.  I'd like to the cost of their redundant commercial spots and what type of revenue they really produce.  Lets find out how much the "animal loving" spokes people rake in for their appearance in these spots.  I realize that the actors union requires these folks to take payment for their work, but, I get the feeling that it may be a little more than these already well-to-do folks require for a 1 minute appearance.

I hope that I am wrong about all of this.  I hope that someone can tell me that the organizations that I have so faithfully contributed to and supported for many years have some very believable and worthy explanation for these and all of the many stories not even mentioned here, as there are quite a few recently.

So if any of my readers out there can shed some light on this subject, I'm all ears.  Please tell me what your personal opinion is.  And, by all means, if anyone out there has some suggestions, I'd be happy to do the research and write some letters and emails to these organizations to make our voices heard.  After all, it is our actions, not our opinions, that might make a change.

I look forward to your comments and I plan to make this an ongoing part of this blog.  I am also in the process of looking into some of the questions I have presented here and I will report any information that I can gather in my next post.  Please sign up to follow this post and I will keep you updated as to the findings.

This blog is new to me and I plan on dedicating as much time to it as necessary to keep all of the followers informed.  Please bear with me as I am learning the ropes as I go and I welcome any and all comments and information to make this process move along as quickly as possible!

Denise and Max!