Back on my trusty steed again.
Time to tilt at windmills once more.
Currently pet owners who abandon/discard their animals are irking me!
Take a look at this image...
Take a good long look...
This is the face of a dog whose owner NO LONGER WANTS HIM!
(The animal is in the care of a local vet at present).
The owner, if you can call him that, is tired of taking care of him
and has threatened to SHOOT the dog should it be returned to him!
In the greater scheme of things, this might not seem
like an issue that would warrant a mention in a newspaper,
or even a fine/jail time for this despicable human should the dog be killed.
Yet, it now awaits its fate in a kennel at a veterinary clinic,
where the kind vet/owner has been looking after it for almost two weeks.
Interestingly, as humans ,we need officially sanctioned documentation
to prove that we are competent
to prove that we are competent
to undertake certain tasks and activities.
We need a drivers license to get behind the wheel of a car.
And, legally, we have to wait until we are 17 to do that.
And it has to be renewed every 5 years.
It can be revoked for a variety of reasons.
And it has to be renewed every 5 years.
It can be revoked for a variety of reasons.
In order to possess a firearm, we need to pass a proficiency test.
And there are age and legal restrictions on who can and cannot own a gun.
It can be revoked under certain circumstances
It can be revoked under certain circumstances
You cannot drive a vehicle that does not have a valid license.
That has to be renewed on an annual basis.
And, although age might not be enforced,
you do need one of these to legally be betrothed to someone.
Today, with our Democratic Constitution, same sex marriages are allowed.
BUT NONE OF THE ABOVE CONSTRAINTS APPLY TO OWING A PET!
Anyone can walk into a pet shop and buy a pet of any description,
without having to prove that they can actually look after the animal.
WHY?
Certain of the rescue shelters will do a home inspection,
but these are superficial to say the least.
They would rather have the animal in a home(of almost any description)
that having it at a shelter where it has to be housed and fed.
At this particular stage competency tests should be conducted
on all potential owners, and if they fail, they need to be placed on a register
so that they are unable to buy from any reputable shop or breeder.
Years ago, there were dog licenses, but these seem to have vanished.
Cats never had to be licensed.
Some owners will not even buy their pet a collar with a tag for contact details.
Surely that should be compulsory?
A minimum standard in order to return the pet should it stray.
But perhaps there are owners who figure that id a pet gets lost,
it can be easily replaced!
How would they feel if it was their child that was missing?
If it was just a simple "click"
would YOU do it?
Many would not
Yes, there is a cost involved...
But if you are a conscientious pet owner, this would be an option.
Often the "my pets are like my children" only apply
when they are healthy and not costing money.
When that happens, often the mantra becomes
"I had them put down because their quality of life was compromised"...
So what kind of pet owner are you?
Only YOU can answer that...
Not all owners are guilty of these travesties and they DO take care of their animals.
But there are those, who seem to make decisions about their pets
based solely on financial circumstances.
Get rid of the pet that we have currently because we cannot afford to keep it,
we can always get another!
Once again I ask you to take a good look into these eyes...
Can YOU offer him a second chance?
He has been neutered.
He is very comfortable around both children and adults,
but he needs to be the only pet in the household.
But time is running out for this unloved animal.
We can complain about its owner all we like,
but if we cannot help him find a new home SOON,
then his fate will certainly be a lethal injection and an unceremonious "burial"
on a designated landfill.
And that is all I have to say...
Until the next time.
