Aiken County Animal Advocates
THE VOICE OF PAWS
(Palmetto Animal Welfare Services, Inc.)
By Joya DiStefano
This Aiken County Animal Advocates Columns was posted in the Aiken Standard on 4/17/2014
“Why spend $600 (or more) on one sick dog, when there are so
many healthy ones who need homes?” This
common query is aired far less often than it is pondered when addressing the
overwhelming problem of unwanted dogs and cats in our community shelters.
The fact is that if a heartworm positive dog is picked up or
surrendered to animal control, Aiken County policy says that it cannot be
adopted out to a private citizen; it may only be transferred to a reputable
rescue organization. Such organizations
will only accept the heartworm positive dogs if the money for treatment
accompanies the dog. Treatment and
transportation runs between $600 to $700 dollars; hence the opening question.
Snoopy
Just before Thanksgiving of 2011, an elderly rat terrier
named Snoopy came to our home. After
many weeks languishing in a shelter cage, Snoopy had been adopted by an elderly
friend who had loved a rat terrier long gone.
The widow thought to share her twilight years with the little old dog
who reminded her of another past.
Because
Snoopy had not been neutered he could not go home with our friend for
Thanksgiving. As an approved foster home,
we opted to provide short-term foster care over the holiday. Then our friend had second thoughts. My husband fell in love with Snoopy. Snoopy stayed.
Snoopy and his Dad
First, Snoopy had neck spasms. Then Snoopy was attacked by two large dogs
and spent post-surgical time with drainage tubes in his neck wounds (we refer
to it as the “extreme chiropractic” as the neck spasms never returned).
Snoopy hitching a rid ein Hitchcock Woods
Snoopy’s extreme enthusiasm for food would cause
his head to pop into view over the kitchen island while multiple food dishes
were prepared. He rapped the
“Gimme-the-Food!” song as back-up rhythm for the hops, “RUFF! Ruff-RUFF! RUFF-ruff-ruff-RUFF!”
Snoopy required a private dining room (the
kitchen lavatory) and a soup can in his dish to slow his chowing down. We called him “Snooper-G,” the rapper. He got a bit too fat because the upward tilt
of his adorable head trained my husband to give him just one more treat.
A few weeks ago, the dogs were tumbling out of their car, as
they do most mornings when we arrive at the back side of Hitchcock Woods for
our daily hike. Snoopy was asserting a
personal fantasy about his canine prowess by buzzing PeeDee, our 60-pound “shar-pitt,”
from behind.
PeeDee suddenly whirled and
snapped a growl that caused Snoopy to haul up short and wrench to the
side. One yelp and Snoopy’s hind legs
were gone. The rest of the pack must
have sensed the urgency as I scooped the tiny paraplegic up. They piled back in the car and we went
straight to the vet who made a quick referral.
Snoopy had back surgery in Columbia that afternoon.
Why spend all that money on one elderly dog who wasn’t even
supposed to be ours? We are far from
rich, when it comes to money anyway. We
have way too many dogs, by any sane reckoning.
Why not just “put him to sleep,” or euthanize him? Let’s face it, the pretty language makes
killing for the sake of convenience or economics tidier. Snoopy was not ready to die; therefore, we
were not ready to let him go. Saving him
was an option. We took it.
Snoopy in Rehab
Yes, I had to carry Snoopy out to express his bladder and
help him poop if he hadn’t already soiled his bed, and, yes, I had to do a lot
more laundry. But I think I know the
answer to that opening question, “Why spend $600…?”
Love calls; we hear the call, and either we answer or we
turn away. God is Love. Life is Love.
The heartworm positive dog is Love.
The motherless puppies and kittens are Love. The abandoned animal along the road is
Love. Money is not love; it can only
provide the means to express Love.
If you hear Love call from a treatable dog in our County
Shelter, you can make a tax deductible contribution to “PAWS4Heartbeat” at
www.paws4nokill.org. If you would like to
reduce the number of unwanted puppies and kittens arriving at the Aiken County
Animal Shelter, you can make a donation to SNYP at www.paws4nokill.org.
Sixty of us at $10 each can save a treatable
dog; ten of us can spay a large female dog. When you donate your amount, just click on Make This Recurring in the paypal box. Credit cards accepted or set up a paypal account and have it deducted from your checking account each month.
It's easy to do, just CLICK HERE to DONATE NOW!
Money is not Love. If
you have a couple of weeks to show Love to a needy dog in transit, call Mary
Lou at the Aiken Foster Network hotline: (803) 275-0841or email her at MaryLou@paws4nokill.org.
There are so many ways
to act as if the God in all Life matters.
Together we can stop the unnecessary killing. Act now. Please.
A retired organizational problem-solver and radical educator, Joya Jiménez DiStefano is an artist, Servant Leader, co-founder of FOTAS, and founder of PAWS, Inc.
“Why spend $600 (or more) on one sick dog, when there are so
many healthy ones who need homes?” This
common query is aired far less often than it is pondered when addressing the
overwhelming problem of unwanted dogs and cats in our community shelters.
The fact is that if a heartworm positive dog is picked up or
surrendered to animal control, Aiken County policy says that it cannot be
adopted out to a private citizen; it may only be transferred to a reputable
rescue organization. Such organizations
will only accept the heartworm positive dogs if the money for treatment
accompanies the dog. Treatment and
transportation runs between $600 to $700 dollars; hence the opening question.
|
| Snoopy |
Because Snoopy had not been neutered he could not go home with our friend for Thanksgiving. As an approved foster home, we opted to provide short-term foster care over the holiday. Then our friend had second thoughts. My husband fell in love with Snoopy. Snoopy stayed.
|
| Snoopy and his Dad |
First, Snoopy had neck spasms. Then Snoopy was attacked by two large dogs
and spent post-surgical time with drainage tubes in his neck wounds (we refer
to it as the “extreme chiropractic” as the neck spasms never returned).
|
| Snoopy hitching a rid ein Hitchcock Woods |
Snoopy’s extreme enthusiasm for food would cause
his head to pop into view over the kitchen island while multiple food dishes
were prepared. He rapped the
“Gimme-the-Food!” song as back-up rhythm for the hops, “RUFF! Ruff-RUFF! RUFF-ruff-ruff-RUFF!”
Snoopy required a private dining room (the kitchen lavatory) and a soup can in his dish to slow his chowing down. We called him “Snooper-G,” the rapper. He got a bit too fat because the upward tilt of his adorable head trained my husband to give him just one more treat.
Snoopy required a private dining room (the kitchen lavatory) and a soup can in his dish to slow his chowing down. We called him “Snooper-G,” the rapper. He got a bit too fat because the upward tilt of his adorable head trained my husband to give him just one more treat.
A few weeks ago, the dogs were tumbling out of their car, as
they do most mornings when we arrive at the back side of Hitchcock Woods for
our daily hike. Snoopy was asserting a
personal fantasy about his canine prowess by buzzing PeeDee, our 60-pound “shar-pitt,”
from behind.
PeeDee suddenly whirled and
snapped a growl that caused Snoopy to haul up short and wrench to the
side. One yelp and Snoopy’s hind legs
were gone. The rest of the pack must
have sensed the urgency as I scooped the tiny paraplegic up. They piled back in the car and we went
straight to the vet who made a quick referral.
Snoopy had back surgery in Columbia that afternoon.
Why spend all that money on one elderly dog who wasn’t even
supposed to be ours? We are far from
rich, when it comes to money anyway. We
have way too many dogs, by any sane reckoning.
Why not just “put him to sleep,” or euthanize him? Let’s face it, the pretty language makes
killing for the sake of convenience or economics tidier. Snoopy was not ready to die; therefore, we
were not ready to let him go. Saving him
was an option. We took it.
|
| Snoopy in Rehab |
Yes, I had to carry Snoopy out to express his bladder and
help him poop if he hadn’t already soiled his bed, and, yes, I had to do a lot
more laundry. But I think I know the
answer to that opening question, “Why spend $600…?”
Love calls; we hear the call, and either we answer or we
turn away. God is Love. Life is Love.
The heartworm positive dog is Love.
The motherless puppies and kittens are Love. The abandoned animal along the road is
Love. Money is not love; it can only
provide the means to express Love.
If you hear Love call from a treatable dog in our County
Shelter, you can make a tax deductible contribution to “PAWS4Heartbeat” at
www.paws4nokill.org. If you would like to
reduce the number of unwanted puppies and kittens arriving at the Aiken County
Animal Shelter, you can make a donation to SNYP at www.paws4nokill.org.
Sixty of us at $10 each can save a treatable
dog; ten of us can spay a large female dog. When you donate your amount, just click on Make This Recurring in the paypal box. Credit cards accepted or set up a paypal account and have it deducted from your checking account each month.
It's easy to do, just CLICK HERE to DONATE NOW!
It's easy to do, just CLICK HERE to DONATE NOW!
Money is not Love. If
you have a couple of weeks to show Love to a needy dog in transit, call Mary
Lou at the Aiken Foster Network hotline: (803) 275-0841or email her at MaryLou@paws4nokill.org.
There are so many ways
to act as if the God in all Life matters.
Together we can stop the unnecessary killing. Act now. Please.
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