"We can judge the heart of a man by the treatment of his animals."

Dogs are not disposable.  They aren't an item that you buy and get rid of when you don't want it anymore.  That's not how it works.

Sadly, however, it happens all too often.  60% of the dogs that enter shelters don't leave alive.  A very large percentage of dogs in shelters are owner surrenders.  I have issues with this.  I can't fathom why anyone would get a dog if they aren't planning on keeping him for his entire life.  I guess it's hard for me to understand since I would never, ever give up on one of my dogs.  When I add a dog to my household, I'm planning on having that dog until he takes his last breath.  Food, vet bills, and all of the other essentials are already floating around in my head.  I'm prepared.  If I move, the dog moves.  If my new boyfriend has allergies to dogs, he either deals with it or is out the door.  You won't find me making stupid excuses to drop my dog off at a shelter when the going gets tough.  My dogs aren't going anywhere... unless I'm with them.

I see all of these dogs that have been surrendered to the shelters by their owners and wonder why they even got a dog in the first place.  Apparently they didn't think it out before they made the decision to add a dog into the mix.  That's only one of the differences between us.

I see them and can't help from wanting to beat their old "owners" over the head with a baseball bat screaming "WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!  THIS DOG LOVES YOU - AS SHITTY OF A PERSON YOU ARE!"  And it's true.  The dogs that were so heartlessly dumped at the shelter DID love their people.  It's a shame that they had to waste their sweet souls on such bitter people.  Every part of you hopes that they'll be adopted and be able to give that love to someone who actually deserves it.  The hard truth is... most of them never get to do so.  They die where their "owners" left them.  How would you feel if you dropped your dog off at a shelter and basically sentenced him to death?  I'd sure as hell rethink my decision.

As odd as it seems, seeing these homeless dogs literally makes me clutch my hand over my chest where my heart is... because it actually physically hurts.  I never knew that my heart could actually hurt when I'm sad... but now I know all too well that it can.

So think about it.  Don't get a dog if you aren't prepared to devote the next decade+ to him.  They don't deserve to die in shelters because of a stupid decision you decided to make.

Don't shop!  Adopt!

Peace, love, and paw prints...