An Ignorant Retort

For the sake of a few less than capable readers, allow me to reiterate that the "shelter" would not allow me to keep this pup, insisted that I was required to leave her, and that it seemed, by that she was in good health, well behaved, etc., that she would have people looking for her. That is the reason why she was left there initially.

Some angry, cowardly anonymous poster wrote:
"Please get over yourself. You have no idea what goes on there, nor do any of your 'associates'."

RESPONSE: We DO know what went on there. The pup is quite dead, and didn't need to be killed. Nothing about myself to "get over," and being catty isn't even remotely becoming, nor does it address the issue.

"If you are going to encourage people to simply let the dogs or cats they don't want out the front door to fend for themselves,"


RESPONSE: No such encouragement was made. I encourage people to be responsible , to place those pets with no-kill shelters if they can't wait for good homes. This pup wasn't "simply let out the front door," it apparently got out against the owner's will. Do try to follow along , won't you?

"I suggest you get your veterinary license and take care of those animals when they are hit by cars, set on fire by ignorant children or adults, used as bait dogs for fighting, actually used for fighting, tortured, overbred, starved, had their ears cut off with rusty scissors or shot. These are all instances that I have witnessed at the shelter I work at."

RESPONSE: I suggest you pay closer attention Such things happen to dogs that are NOT running stray... and are still by far the rarity and have NOTHING To do with the argument being made here, no matter how melodramatically you portray it. Moreover, I already DO make animals' well being my life's work. Meanwhile, it seems you make their deaths your life's work. Oddly enough, it was supposedly a member of Veterinary staff who apparently decided this pup shouldn't be allowed the chance to live - acting on some ignorant presumption that every dog with a broad backskull is a "pit bull X" when it was, in fact, an Australian Cattle Dog cross - which is one of the MANY other breeds with such a skull having no relationship whatsoever to a "pit bull."

The world is not binary. There ARE better solutions. We simply have to start seeing those lives as valuable, rather than something which is disposable when inconvenient.

"You could have kept that dog. It was your decision to make and apparently the guilt you have is killing you."

RESPONSE: As stated earlier, you apparently don't read well. I was told I was not allowed to keep her. Moreover, it was not RIGHT to just keep her, as a family somewhere is missing a well cared for, well-mannered puppy. Trying to push the responsibility for that lethal needle on me, rather than to recognize that the "shelter" CLAIMED they'd take all sorts of steps to place the dog even if the owner was not found, (and then put her to death the very moment that they were at liberty to do so) is cheap and deceptive. The FACT is that the "shelter" is lying about what they do. Why are they not allowing cameras? Afraid they'll be caught? Why are you defending them? Afraid YOU'LL get caught?

"I would rather see any animal humanely euthanized than have it running the streets just waiting for some ignorant gangbanger to give it a long and painful death."

RESPONSE: I suppose I might too, if that dim view were the reality, or even the likelihood. But it isn't. That's the BS scenario you paint to ease YOUR guilty conscience, for that you have put so many animals to death needlessly. How far up the river of Denial do you need to be that you'll paint such unlikely ugly pictures to justify your actions, rather that admit that this "shelter" is lying, killing healthy, sane animals needlessly?

There's an old expression that says "Follow the money." I'm starting to wonder just how much the "shelter" gets from the dog food companies for each killed dog's corpse.

To reiterate, there was no need to kill this pup, as I had already made clear to them that I would take her if her owner wasn't found.

There is such a thing as Quality of Life, but that argument does not come into play here at all. I'm sure the Katrina victim sharing my home now is glad that you weren't the one to decide that she was better off dead. She had some hard times, as we all do, but seems to be quite pleased to still be alive and able to experience love and the world.

AN ALTERNATIVE POSSIBLITY:

In Africa, dogs run the streets (as they do in other countries and continents as well.) They are generally respectful of people; Having been kicked out of the way, they give a wide berth to aggressive behavior in their direction, but eventually will trust kind humans. They are not the nuisance that "humane society" supporters like to claim they would become. Rather, they live out their lives. Yes, they get fleas and ticks, and I'm sure some of them die of disease and hunger - no different than any other creature, from men and prey to wolves, throughout the world.
At least one such free-rambling creature befriended me. When I was in Senegal, walking on the shoreline, troubled at a decision I had to make, a dog came up and INSISTED that I play with her. She flat out wouldn't take No for an answer! Soon she had charmed me into playing and romping, running on the beach and in the water... The time with her ended up being a highlight of the time spent in Senegal. I'm reasonably sure she has brought joy to many other people as well. I'm quite pleased that someone didn't "save" her by killing her.