My new pal!

The number of animals that have be destroyed is truely heart breaking. That is why I am a firm advocate of spaying and neutering pets. Rikki Tikki will be having the neutering proceedure done soon.

I have to confess that I can't stand going to the local humane society. It absolutely breaks my heart to see all those poor critters on death row. I want to adopt them ALL, and of course I can't. Last time I went there, I was depressed for days afterwards, so I found Rikki by an ad in the classifieds.

I'll be adding to my animal family in December when I expect to go down to the airport and pick up my new Cardigan Welsh Corgi pup. This pup too will in short order take a trip to the vet's to be spayed. I adore Cardigan Corgi's - they are wonderful dogs, and you will never ever find one at the pound.

I think the truly important message to get out is the necessity of spaying and neutering. Just by doing this for one dog and one cat, I will single-handedly prevent as many as 60 puppies and 100 kittens from being born only to be killed. So, I'm OK with getting my pets from other places.

(Tonchi, I love it! Rikki Rikki Tabby! LOL! And yes, Rikki will be an indoor cat.)

[Bullitt]

I completely agree with the spaying/neutering of pets. But I have to clarify, not all Humane Society shelters destroy animals. The one I worked at was so overcrowded because of this. Most Humane Society shelters WILL NOT destroy animals just to keep the numbers down. Every animal brought to the shelter is kept there until it is well again and moved to the "Ready for Adoption Area", or it dies of natural causes after exhausting every effort at the shelter's disposal to save it. I worked mainly in the "Sick Ward" of the shelter tending to the animals who were mostly not going to make it. Very heartbreaking.

[Elspode]

Cute lil guy!

[Tonchi]

The cat and dog overpopulation problem has reached desperate levels in too many communities. It's hard to understand the cruel indifference to the welfare of their animals that so many people in my area display. The Fresno County shelters are completely swamped by so many unwanted/unneeded animals that many beautiful and sweet creatures who never did anything wrong end their lives by gas or needle, simply because there is no way to care for them with the underfunded animal control programs.

In an interesting twist, Marin County frequently comes to Fresno and loads up on adoptable animals from the SPCA and Humane Society here; in affluent Marin County outside San Francisco, they actually have a LACK of enough abandoned animals to meet the demand there. That is because the type of people who live in Marin spay and neuter their pets and will not patronize puppy mills or buy pet store dogs and cats. What a sad comment on Fresno, that the people here are so ignorant and lowclass that their shelters have the highest populations in California and the rich folks come here to do what we are unable to do. I've never been able to bear visiting these shelters because of the feeling of desperation that they give me

But at least I contribute heavily to the Fresno Feline Foundation, a no-kill shelter/clinic which actively works to find homes for the animals turned in to them and keeps any which are not adoptable in their loving care for as long as they live. We got the momster's two Maine Coons from The Feline Foundation and T'Pau, Queen of the Universe, came from the Madera County Shelter.

I know that Rikki Tikki Tabby will have a wonderful home with Marichiko and by now should be well on his way to developing a major attitude as befitting his environment

Originally Posted by Tonchi

That is because the type of people who live in Marin spay and neuter their pets and will not patronize puppy mills or buy pet store dogs and cats. What a sad comment on Fresno, that the people here are so ignorant and lowclass that their shelters have the highest populations in California and the rich folks come here to do what we are unable to do. I've never been able to bear visiting these shelters because of the feeling of desperation that they give me

I'll see your Fresno and raise you one Colorado Springs. While I don't live in Colorado Springs (thank GOD), the community I DO reside in has no humane society, so the Colorado Springs one is the nearest. The Springs is a transient, military town and many people just abandon their animals when they leave. I have found kittens wandering around in the foothills outside of town. I suppose some asshole decided to let them "go back to nature."

Then you have the Focus on the Family crowd, and apparently their "pro-life" attitude extends to their pets (except not really), as well, or else they're too busy tithing to "Pray the Vote" to spend money on spaying and neutering their animals.

The pound overflows with little death row inmates who are gased by the thousands. I call it the "doggy Dachau" and avoid the place at all costs.

T'Pau sounds as though she has found an excellent person to attend to her care and worship! Our 4-legged friends give back so much for what really amounts to a small investment of money and a little time. Get them their shots, take them to the local spay clinic, buy some kitty or doggie crunchies and CARE about them enough to walk them or play with them and not let them out in the street to get run over and they will give you a return of years of love and companionship - more than you can say about most people these days, unfortunately.

[xoxoxoBruce]

The Fresno County shelters are completely swamped by so many unwanted/unneeded animals.....

Not many Chinese resturants, huh?

[xoxoxoBruce]

Nice kitty.

[Tonchi]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Not many Chinese resturants, huh?

Must be they're not willing to catch 'em themselves, Bruce

Speaking of which, if you know how many dogs and dog "byproducts" are eaten in the Philippines, it would make you wonder why the streets there are STILL full of both.