| A new addition to the family can feel good | |||||||
| by BUDDY AMATO | |||||||
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Many people are clueless as to what exactly happens after an abuse case is established. Did you know that? The fact is, many times you will win a case of animal abuse, just to realize afterwards the following sad truth: the animal that you were trying to save or help is still going to be in a world of hurt, even after you take it from its abusive owner. What I am trying to help you understand is that the shelters to which the animals are taken are full and to make room for an animal that is adoptable means some other animal has to die. This is the cold hard truth and even though the S.P.C.A. is a non-kill shelter, there comes a point when we just do not have room for any more animals. ? The problem is that when people want a dog or a new pet, they go to the local puppy store and buy a brand new pet instead of going to a shelter. There are two major shelters in our area:
If you only take the time to go out and look, you will find animals that are in desperate need of a home. The biggest joke is that when you buy a puppy from a pet store, they are usually coming from puppy mills and you are looking at major vet bills down the road. This is because they have been subjected to just about every transferable viruses you can imagine. I know this because when people purchase a new puppy from Joe Blow's Puppy Store, it is all playful and happy in its cage. But! Then I get a phone call after a week or two because kennel cough has shown up and the pet owner wants me to go after the pet store for selling a defective animal. You have to remember this is not the pet store owner's fault, because kennel cough was contracted long before a puppy reached Joe Blow's pet store. He is a puppy and puppies are very vulnerable to these viruses. The point I am trying to make is that if you really want a good buy and you try an animal shelter first, you will be doing the right thing by helping a quality pet get a good home. The advantage of this is you will see a dog that may be older however! you will know what you are getting. The dog has for the most part gone through all the stages of puppy illnesses. I will never understand why someone would want to get a puppy from a pet store when for a fraction of the cost, you can adopt a dog or cat from a shelter and feel good about the fact you gave it a chance and saved its life. Puppy mills will never stop breeding dogs as long as there are people who are willing to buy them! It is a simple supply and demand issue! That is why when I hear someone cry about how they got taken in by a pet store owner.I laugh. If only they had tried to give a poor dog or cat a home they would not be calling me for help. I know that many people feel that these animals are damaged goods and they want a puppy so they can train it the right way so it does not have any bad habits. This logic is total garbage. I see the animals come in and usually it is not the animal that is damaged goods. Instead, it is usually the owner letting them down, the owner moving somewhere that does not allow pets, or the owner mysteriously developing an allergic reaction to the pet. I have heard it all and sometimes I want to vomit from all the lame excuses people come up with when they just give up on the animal. I have seen animals at the shelter who after they have been dropped off by their beloved owner, sit in the cage and not eat for days because they do not understand why they have been discarded. Don't get me wrong, this is not the case with all the animals that come in. A lot of them are brought in for good reasons and the owner was doing the right thing by bringing it in and letting us try to give it up for adoption. However, on the other hand, you have people that just cannot fit the animal into their lives any more after it is no longer a cute little puppy or kitten. Now that it is grown, it needs more care and needs to be walked. God forbid it goes to the bathroom and poor Mr. or Mrs. Blowhole have to clean it up. The real joke is when they de-claw a cat so it does not ruin the furniture and then mysteriously all of a sudden, it does not want to go in kitty litter any more. If the cat had not had its claws taken out in the first place, the kitty litter would not bother its clawless pads and it would still be using the litter box. But don't worry, your sofa from K-Mart has been saved. To bring this column to an end, the next time you hear someone say they want a new pet, please tell them to go to the shelter. Let them know what a difference they can make and at the same time, save them some money. Remember, we have all bought used cars and most of us have been surprisingly happy with our purchase. Sometimes a broken-in pet can fit the bill and will appreciate a good home and in return, you will be saving a wonderful life. Grandmaster Buddy Amato operates Amato's Karate and Weapons Academy, 589 Palmer Avenue, West Keansburg and is the author of Buddys Animal Kingdom. For more information, call (732) 671-9555.
Copyright Buddy Amato Amato's Goju-ryu Karate, Nunchaku, Bo-staff, Aikido, Sword, Kendo, Sais, Kick-boxing, Tai-Chi and more 589 Palmer Ave, Keansburg and is the author of Buddys Animal Kingdom, NJ 07734 (732) 671-9555 |
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