Hi everyone,
Have you ever loved an animal? Big? Small? Mammal? Reptile? Dog? Cat? Horse? Guinea Pig?
I have. I've had animals all my life. Periodically, I've had several at once. There is nothing like the unconditional love of a pet. Like Toby, for example. When I get home from work, he is so excited. He spins and turns like a Tasmanian Devil. He covers me with puppy kisses (by the way, he's 12 years old).
The tragedy is that animals generally love you without condition, even if they are being hurt.
April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Month. It's a shame that such a month needs to exist. The statistics are horrible. Animal abuse has reached epidemic proportions. It crosses all demographics: gender, race, age, and more. But I'll spare you the details. Instead, let's look at what we can do to help.
1. Spay and neuter your animals. This reduces the number of animals that don't have a loving home. It also encourages pet adoptions. (By the way, having shown dogs and owned dogs who won many titles, I can tell you that breeding dogs is far from easy and takes a great deal of time, energy, skill, and money.)
2. Support national and/or local organizations that work for the wellbeing of animals. Of course, remember to check them out first. I highly recommend looking at the percentage of their revenue that goes for overhead/administrative costs. You should know how much of every dollar donated goes directly to programs.
A couple of reputable organizations that I support and that have a proven track record of advocacy or direct help are:
The Human Society of the United States
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
On a happier note....BOOKS! Spring has sprung!
Onward!
