Polly Wants a Home

Sometimes, I get the most depressing emails. Today, one was about a bunch of dogs that were at an animal shelter in Georgia and that needed to get out. Whoever wrote the email mentioned how the shelter was gearing up for the holiday dump -- the period after Christmas through February when new pet owners decide they really don't want that cute little puppy or kitten that was left under their Xmas tree and they take it to the shelter. I wish we had a law that would require pet stores and anyone who breeds a dog to tell new owners just how many animals are put down every year because there aren't anough homes. I would like to believe that people are just ignorant and would think twice about bringing home a dog or cat in the first place if they knew that when they changed their mind later on and took it to a shelter, it could mean that animal would be euthanized. I got another email about a different shelter in Georgia that also has a bunch of dogs in need of homes. What made it worse was most of them only had until January 2 which is today. Since it's after closing time at the shelter now, I wonder how many of them in the pictures I just looked at were adopted or rescued, and which ones did not make it out of there.

I did get one email that was much happier. Well, it was sad in that a woman had been in an abusive relationship but she was leaving the guy and moving to Texas. She didn't have much money and was traveling by bus so a Dachshund rescue group was looking for help with getting her two small dogs down there as well. It was nice to know she would soon be safe in a new home and have her little doggies with her too.

A great place to start looking for a dog or cat or guinea pig or bunny or horse, etc., to adopt is Petfinder. They currently have 251,491 pets on there who need homes. By the way, it's Adopt-a-Rescued-Bird Month. Here's an adoptable bird for you. (To see more birds or other animals, go to Petfinder and use their search function on the left-hand side).