Pet Auto Safety

Can you believe some people are giving up their pets because of the recent economic hardships?  The animal shelters in the Kansas City Metro area are completely full because of all the animals being dropped off and sometimes even abandoned.  As hard as the volunteers of these animal organizations are trying to find homes for them all, it is nearly impossible.  So before you give your pet up, read this heart-wrenching story by Jim Willis titled “How Could You?”  It brought tears to my eyes and I hope it brings tears to yours.

 http://jimwillis0.tripod.com/tiergarten/id21.html

“How Could You?” was written by Jim Willis in 2001.  He says you can distribute the essay for noncommercial purposes as long as it is properly attributed with the copyright notice.  So please feel free to pass this ling along to others.  It is a great way to hopefully save some animals.

Owning a pet offers years of a rewarding experience. The loyalty, love, and affection they provide is vast. It has even been said that pets help people live longer healthier lives. Although the rewards of owning a pet far outweigh the reponsibilities, the obligations of a pet owner are still very important. After providing annual shots and vet visits, spaying or neutering your dog or cat is the most important. Several people have excuses about why their pet is not spayed or neutered. As pet lovers who sincerely believe in helping to prevent homeless animals, we feel that it is important to stress the benefits of spaying or neutering.

Why Breeding Your Pet is Not a Good Idea
Unless you are a professional breeder, you probably should not be breeding your dog or cat. There are a lot of costs involved in breeding that you may not have considered. Finding a male for your female is not always easy. And if you do find a male, there may be a stud fee involved. If you already have both a male and female breed, you may be inadvertantly breeding dogs or cats that are too closely related and therefore contributing to the degeneration of the breed. Once you have a pregnant female, there are several vet visits which cost money. There is not only the vet cost for the pregnant female, but there are also vet fees involved for the puppies or kittens. If you want to sell quality breeds, vet costs increase because you want the vet to check for health issues and hereditary problems. Also, some breeds require docking of tails or ears which also involves vet fees.

Another thing to consider is that all of your puppies or kittens may not be sold. If you are a considerate pet breeder, you may want to dispose of them by taking them to a no-kill shelter. No-kill shelters often request a donation in order to help them care for the animal before it is adopted. More often than not, breeding dogs or cats is not as profitable as you might think. And sometimes, no profit is made at all.

Besides costs, a lot of your time is required when caring for the pregnant female and her puppies or kittens. The mother dog or cat does not always care for her young properly. And if proper care is not given by either you or the mother, some of the young may die before they have a chance to be sold.

Even if you are lucky enough to find homes for the puppies or kittens your pet has had, you would be surprised to find how many of them end up in a shelter later. A lot of people get a puppy or kitten on impuse because they are so adorable. But people who don’t have the knowledge or the desire to learn about raising a pet tend to end up with an adult dog or cat they can’t handle. That pet may then end up abandoned. Stray dogs may bite or attack people or pets, get into trash, defecate on your lawn and spread disease to other pets. Research shows there are more dogs and cats born every day than there are people which means there are not enough people willing to adopt them all.

Spaying or Neutering Does Not Cost a Lot of Money
Costs to spay or neuter your pet can vary depending on your vet. If you can’t afford those costs, check with your local humane society and ask about low-cost spaying and neutering programs. These programs were formed in order to prevent unwanted pets so they will be glad to help you find something that can fit within your budget.

Spaying or Neutering Can Help Curb Certain Behavior Problems
Male cats who are not fixed tend to spray more often than male cats who are not neutered. When a male cat sprays, there is a highly offensive odor that can easily infiltrate your entire home. Not only that, the odor on the item that was sprayed will be difficult to remove. When female cats who are not fixed go into heat, they tend to do this odd screeching cry that is both incessant and loud. This could happen twice a year (usually in the spring and fall) and lasts up to three weeks.

Male dogs who are not fixed tend to mark more often, even indoors, and especially when they smell a female dog in heat. Indoor marking could damage your furniture and the smell could be difficult to remove. Female dogs who are not fixed tend to leave marks of blood on your carpet or furniture. Dogs do not bleed as heavily as people, but they do bleed - the bigger the dog, the more noticable the spotting.

For both male and female pets who are not fixed, you could have problems with them trying to get out of the house or fenced yard. Females in heat are especially more urgent to get outdoors. Male pets who catch the scent of a female in heat could be more inclined to get out of the house or dig out of the yard or jump the fence.

If you are wanting a loyal and lovable affectionate pet, your chances of getting one is by having your pet spayed or neutered. Believe it or not, studies show that fixed pets tend to be more affectionate.

Spaying or Neutering Can Help Prevent Certain Health Issues
Fixed pets tend to live longer. Losing a pet is very difficult so you want your dog or cat to live as long as possible. A dog that is spayed or neutered also tends to be healthier. They are also less likely to get certain types of cancer. A sick dog can be very expensive to make healthy. And in many cases, the pet can end up dying anyway.

So please help to prevent homeless pets by getting your dog or cat spayed or neutered. Spaying or neutering your pet benefits you, your pet, and the community.

This article was inspired by No More Homelss Pets KC (NMHPKC)

One of the most traumatic events I have ever witnessed was on the highway as I was traveling from Austin to San Antonio, Texas. It was about six years ago on a bright sunny day and I was looking forward to the barbecue my sister was having at her home. There were numerous vehicles on the road but not enough to slow travel. As I was cruising along, a red pickup several car-lengths ahead caught my eye. The truck itself was not what captured my attention, it was the big dog in the bed of the truck. The dog was obviously happily enjoying the ride. His mouth was open, his tongue was hanging out, and the wind was rushing passed his face as he hung his head over the side. The dog looked like a German shepherd mix with mostly black fur and a few tan highlights on his ears, eyebrows, and muzzle. Like a German shepherd, he had the big pointed ears and long shepherd-shaped head and muzzle. He had a nice black coat and a long furry tail that curled over his back. He must have been loved because he looked healthy and happy. It’s too bad the owner’s didn’t consider the danger of their dog riding in the back an open pickup.

Not too long after I noticed the dog in the pickup, the pickup swerved violently, probably to avoid another car or something in the road. But in swerving out of the way, the beautiful dog flew out of the bed of the truck. He crashed onto the roadway and rolled helplessly into the oncoming traffic. I didn’t have time to notice if the dog survived the impact when a huge semi came along. Unable to avoid the dog without causing a wreck, the semi hit the dog and the dog rolled under several of its huge wheels. I gasped with horror at the sight and nearly gagged as I passed by the twisted and tangled body of the now obviously dead dog.

Now every time I see a dead dog on the side of the road, I wonder if it is the result of some other careless pet owner who never considered their pet’s safety on the road. If you have a dog that loves to ride in the truck as you take him to the lake or dog park, please use a tether to keep him restrained or purchase a topper for the back of the truck. You may be the best driver in the world, but you can’t predict the actions of other drivers. At any moment, you may have to slam on your breaks or be forced to swerve out of the way of another vehicle, and your dog could be lost to a terrible and tragic death.

Another thing to consider is that some cities in the US have regulations about dogs riding unrestrained in the back of a pickup. In order to abide by these city ordinances, buy a topper for your truck, keep the dog in a restrained carrier, or keep the dog restrained with a truck cross tether. The ordinance is not only for your pet’s safety, but for the safety of other people on the road as well. Had the driver of the semi decided to swerve to miss the dog, he could have hit another vehicle or rolled or jack-knifed his truck. A big rig such as that could have caused a serious and deadly accident for many. So drive safe and protect yourself and all the members of your family.

Missy is a sweet dog. She was rescued from the local shelter I used to work at. She was literally rescued since she was due to be euthanized when I offered to take her home as my own. She was only 6 months old at the time and very adorable. But the shelter was full and there was no room for her in adoption. Our shelter took in over a hundred animals a day in the summer months and we were lucky if 15 were reclaimed, if 15 were adopted, and if 15 were taken by various animal rescue groups. It was sad to say, but a lot of animals were euthanized every day at this shelter, as they are at many shelters all over the country. The shelters don’t do this by choice, I promise. They do it because there is no other alternative. Most of the animals that were euthanized were unadoptable because they were unhealthy, vicious, or just unsociable. But some of those animals would have made great pets.

Missy is such a great pet. She is well behaved and very lovable. I don’t know what I would do without her. Missy is an odd mix, probably greyhound/shepherd. She has the lean doe-like face of a greyhound and the coloring and black saddle-back of a German shepherd. To think that she was about to be put to sleep just because there are so many irresponsible pet owners out there who refuse to get their pet spayed or neutered and let their dogs roam the neighborhoods! If you aren’t going to be responsible for a pet, you should not even have one. So even though I don’t work at the animal shelter anymore, I am still a big advocate for spaying and neutering. And as an advocate for spaying and neutering, I want to encourage you do spay or neuter your dog or cat. Unless you are a professional breeder, you should not be breeding dogs. There are plenty of professional breeders out there and too many irresponsible breeders who breed dogs in puppy mills just to make money. So unless you know about breeding, PLEASE don’t contribute to the overpopulation of pets just to make a buck!