Does is make you sad when.......?

Question

You go to the pound or Petsmart on weekends and see all of the homeless kitties that are up for adoption KNOWING full and well that if they don't get adopted in a couple months they will be put to sleep? (most.. not all shelters do.. MOST do though!) It makes me so sad. I hate to go in there because I feel guilty.. but then again, I can't have anymore pets. They just all look at me from their cage asking me to PLEASE take them home and save them.

Weird question.. sorry. I was just there today and it makes me hurt.

Answer 1

You are not alone! I don't even like to go into Petsmart or shelters because it breaks my heart. I look at those animals and see my own cat staring back at me. I saw a sign the other day that suggested that if you can't take on any more pets, maybe you could pay the adoption fee for a special kitty that you like at the shelter. That way, the kitty might get adopted sooner if he/she is free.

Answer 2

Yes, it makes me super sad. Unfortunately I also have my fill of pets and animals, so all I can do is go pet them. One thing you can do to help out, is go to your local shelter and volunteer your lap to a kitty. The shelter in my town has an open cattery and they're always looking to have people come by just to give the kitties some attention. It sucks to see them all there, but just imagine if they never got any visitors. The sad reality is some cats may not get the homes they deserve, but making life as good as possible while they are here is what's important!

Answer 3

It's very sad. I know that when I used to go to Petsmart, for example, I would always stop by the cats and give them some attention. I, myself, work in a retail store and know just how difficult it is to give something attention when you're being pulled in a million directions at once. I doubt the employees there have a whole lot of time to socialize with the cats while they are working, even if they really want to.

Take heart though, a lot more shelters in recent years are becoming no-kill. Of course, though, this means that they can't take in as many animals and often have VERY long waiting lists for animals waiting to be brought in.

Answer 4

I think the cats that are at Petsmart are kept either there or at foster homes until they are adopted. I am almost sure of it. I think they are usually rescued from the shelters and then spayed/neutered, given shots, microchipped and then they live at someones home or at Petsmart until they are adopted. I use to work at the local Petsmart and every weekend the Humane Society would adopt out several cats and dogs. They would even have bunny rescues every once in a while.

Answer 5

It does make me sad, but it isn't entirely true. Almost all shelters these days don't have a time limit on their pets, they only euthanize for space. This is sad, and it breaks my heart (I used to work for a shelter doing euthanasia, so it is especially hard for me.) but they only euthanize those pets least likely to be adopted, and only when they are so full they simply have no more room.

When I stopped working at the shelter (which is known for the fact that it is what they call a "kill shelter") there was a dog there that had been there before I was hired (over a year.)

Answer 6

Yes and the pet shops and puppy and kitten mills rely on people having that reaction, they make money out of it. Unfortunately not everyone is like you and realises they can't manage more than they already have so they will take them, then they get them home, they may multiply many times and these end up on the street or in shelters, then they realise they can't cope and they take them to the shelter or just let them out to fend for themselves, many shelters don't keep surrendered pets, they are PTS immediately, even no kill shelters. Some are only kept briefly to find a home before they're euthanased.

This is the reason we shouldn't support pet shops who sell live animals, while people will buy them, they will continue to sell them. If there's no demand, they will stop.

The pet shop puppy and kitten mill pets are usually raised in horrid conditions, the parents are barely fed enough to keep themselves alive, they are kept in dirty cages. People complain and won't buy eggs from battery hens but they will buy puppies and kittens who are treated worse. They are bred and bred til they can't breed any more or they get parvo or leukemia or something else and then they're let loose on the streets or their bodies left in dumpsters, never seeing daylight before or vet care. They are removed too young from their Moms and have immunity problems and flus are rife. They grow up with behavioural problems with having been yanked away from Mom when they're too young. She hasn't taught them how to behave.

There's only one way to stop it and that's to boycott them. Only around 10% of animals in shelters get adopted.

Answer 7

I TOTALLY HEAR WHAT YOUR SAYING...I AM A TOTAL ANIMAL LOVER AND I HELP ALL THAT I CAN,YOUR RIGHT THOUGH' ;LOTS WILL BE PUT DOWN IF NOT ADOPTED OUT,TH ATS WHY I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE TO GO TO THE ANI,MAL SHELTER IF YOUR GONNA GET A PET...THEY SO MUCH DESERVE TO HAVE A NICE FRIENDLY HOME ALSO LIKE ALL OF US,,,,,MY NEIGHBOR MOVED LAST SUMMER AND LEFT 3 BEAUTIFUL AND KIND CATS TO LIVE IN THE STREETS,,,THEY ARE WILD NOW' BUT I FEED THEM 3TIMES A DAY,I GO WITHOUT LUNCH AT WORK SO THEY MAY EAT'AND I LOVE IT...1 IS NOW BLIND FROM FIGHTING...HIS DAUGHTER IS BY HIS SIDE ALWAYS,AND THE 3RD ONE IS A FRIEND OF THERES,,,I LEAVE MY LAUNDRY ROOM OPEN ALWAYS'SO THEY HAVE A SAFE WARM PLACE TO SLEEP AT NIGHT...WHEN I HAVE A PET I KEEP THEM FOR THEIR WHOLE LIFE...i HAVE SEEN PEOPLE GETTING RID OF THEIR CAT BECAUSE THE CATS POO SMELLED,,,GO FIGURE,,,EVEN WHEN I SEE HURT ANIMALS ON ANIMAL COPS ON TV IT REALLY HURTS MY HEART,,,ANIMALS ARE SO KIND SO WHY DO PEOPLE ABUSE THEM....i WISH I HAD MILLIONS OF DOLLERS 'I WOULD MAKE BIG FARMS WHERE ANIMALS COULD COME FROM SHELTERS AND UNWANTED ANIMALS ALL COME TO THEIR NEW HOMES,,,,IF I WIN THE LOTTERY I WILL DO IT....HAVE A NICE NIGHT AND THANKS FOR CARING FOR OUR 4 LEGGED FRIENDS,,,

Answer 8

It does make most people sad to see animals treated that way. You cant do anything about it but u could put up signs or recomend shelters so more people go there, in the mena time dont worry about it. Its all ganna be ok!

Answer 9

It really blows. That isa why the ASPCA and most Humane Socioties set people up with Veterinary vouchers to spay and neuter your pets for free. That is kind of tough too, but it controls the over population of unwanted pets.

Answer 10

Of course. We have adopted quite a few animals, we used to run a rescue agency for abused and unwanted English and Miniature Bull Terriers.