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DEL.ICIO.USSupport your local shelter
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here is a good story about animals.
Gwinnett County opened a new state-of-the-art Animal Welfare and Enforcement Center on Tuesday. The new center will provide for animal adoptions, safely hold lost pets and house pets no longer wanted by their owner. The center will provide facilities to spay and neuter animals and storage pens that will help reduce the spread of disease and sickness.
I confess, I am an animal lover. I grew up with dogs, and I have had two cats, both of which I found as strays when they were kittens. Junior, my current housemate, has been a good feline friend and companion for the past six years.
What strikes me most about animals is their innocence. They have no hidden agenda (although I sometimes think that Junior enjoys being a bit of a prankster), they are not born with an innate sense of violence or jealousy. If you love them, they will love you back. If you teach them, they will learn. If you respect them, they will be a faithful and loyal companion throughout their life.
We can’t always say that about people, but if we love our pets, they will love us back completely and with devotion.
I can understand if some of you don’t see this relationship between humans and their pets. Most of you who don’t understand this relationship will do nothing more than say, “that’s a cute dog,” or, “I just don’t understand cats.” That’s OK.
But some who don’t understand engage in behavior that most of us cannot comprehend, regardless of whether or not we like animals. They abandon animals on the side of the road. They drown them in a lake or a creek. They teach them how to fight for our amusement. They take out their frustrations by kicking or beating them. They don’t feed them, or they tie them to a tree with a chain and completely ignore them. There aren’t many people who do this, but the few who do cause us outrage.
For animals subjected to these people, the shelter is a haven. The shelter will find good homes with people who teach pets love and respect. The shelter makes sure the pets are healthy when they leave.
Unfortunately, many animals will not be able to find homes. They may be too sick or too scarred by mistreatment, and they will have to be euthanized. It is unfortunate, and it makes me sad. However, often the alternative is much worse.
I would urge all of you to support the shelter. Donations are always welcome. Warm bodies are always needed as volunteers to help operate and maintain the shelter. And, of course, there are always animals who would gladly receive the love and affection you can give — especially by inviting them into your home.
Do you support the new animal shelter?
Permalink | Comments (6) | Categories: Bill Allen
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By Stan
September 27, 2007 9:50 AM | Link to this
I’ve had 3 dogs since I reached adulthood, and all 3 have come from either the Gwinnett pound or the Bassett Hound Rescue of GA. They were/have all been incredible pets. 1 of them had been abused by kids as a pup and had issues with children for many years, however after many months of love she became great with kids.
So yes support the shelters
By Concerned
September 28, 2007 9:46 AM | Link to this
The new Gwinnett Animal Shelter provides a pretty front to the abtrocities that are and have been occurring in Gwinnett County in 2006 and 2007. Gwinnett County Animal Control has and is going after licensed rescues and approved foster homes in Gwinnett that are in good standing with the Georgia Department of Agriculture. These rescues and foster homes save the Gwinnett taxpayers a large sum of money by taking in unwanted animals and neglected animals. These licensed rescues and approved foster homes provide animals the necessary care (including spaying/neutering) at their own expense until the animals are adopted into loving homes.
Often the animals in the rescue’s and foster home’s care have been neglected prior to them being taken in and often need rehabilitation and additional vetting for serious health conditions that have not be addressed. The cost of caring for these neglected animals is very expensive and is paid for by the rescues/foster homes. If it were not for the rescues and foster homes, the Gwinnett taxpayers would carry the burden of paying for the high costs of caring for unwanted animals and neglected animals if they stay at the Gwinnett Animal Control longer than the 5 days that they are required to keep them. Unfortunately for the animals, if rescues and foster homes do not come forward to save these unwanted animals and neglected animals, the cost that the Gwinnett taxpayer carries is the euthanization and disposal of the animal bodies.
If you want to make a difference in saving animals in need in Gwinnett County, contact the Gwinnett Animal Control and insist that they stop going after licensed rescues and approved foster homes that are located in Gwinnett.
By Julie
October 2, 2007 8:37 AM | Link to this
Dear Concerned..What evidence do you have and why would they do this? How do they do this? Please, more info. If this is true, it is an abomination. All of my pets are rescues.
By melodie
October 2, 2007 3:35 PM | Link to this
I currently have 4 cats,a 15 year old, a 3 year old and 2 that are 5 month olds. All of my pets are and always have been rescue pets. I always spay and neuter each pet and cats are never allowed outside. Nor have any of my pets ever been allowed to roam free, to many things can happen to them. If people would make sure their pets are spayed or neutered before they are old enough to reproduce, this can be as early as 5 months for a female cat, there would not be so many stray and abandoned pets. I feel so sad when I see the pets at the animal shelters, Atlanta Humane Society has a bus at Zoo Atlanta periodically, with cats and dogs needing homes, I just want to take them all home with me. Some of them look so sad like they can’t figure out what they did wrong to make their owner abandon them.
If you have room in you home and your heart please adopt a pet, and make sure you spay or neuter! My home is full though I always have room in my heart for more.
By Paula
October 4, 2007 12:18 PM | Link to this
Last Friday I adopted a miniature schnazuer from Gwinnett Animal Control. Bruno is my first rescue dog, I must say that he has been a wonderful addition to our family. I was impressed with the new shelter, very big,clean and the people that work there are very nice and very helpful. If my family and I ever decide to add another dog to our family in the future we wil be going back to this shelter.
By Sheriff
October 4, 2007 4:33 PM | Link to this
If in a county of 700,000+ people we could get 6,000 dogs and cats adopted we could put an end to killing adoptable animals. If this could be done over the next 12 months it would stop the killing and save a lot of taxpayer money. Please add a dog or cat to your family, everyone wins.