Insight from a shelter manager…
How would you feel if you knew that there’s a 90% chance your dog/cat will never walk out of the shelter it is going to be dumped at?
They always tell me: ‘We just don’t want to have to stress about finding a place for her we know she’ll get adopted,’
Your pet now has 72 hours to find a new family from the moment you drop it off (sometimes a little longer if the shelter isn’t full and your dog manages to stay completely healthy). If it sniffled, it dies.
Your pet will be confined to a small kennel in a room with about 25 other barking or crying animals.
It will be depressed and it will cry constantly for the family that abandoned it.
It doesn’t matter how ‘sweet’ or ‘well behaved’ they are.
If your dog/cat doesn’t get adopted within its 72 hours and the shelter is full, it will be killed.
If the shelter isn’t full and your dog/cat is good enough, and of a desirable enough breed it may get to stay, but not for long.
Most animals get very cage protective after about a week and are euthanised for showing aggression. Even the sweetest animals will turn in this environment.
If your pet makes it over all of those hurdles chances are it will get an upper respiratory infection and will be euthanised because shelters just don’t have the funds to pay for $100 treatments.
Here’s a little euthanasia 101 for those of you who have never witnessed a perfectly healthy, scared animal being ‘put-down’
First your pet will be taken from its kennel on a leash. They always get happy, thinking they get time out of their cage.
Until they get to ‘The Room’
Every one of them freak out and put the brakes on when we get to the door.
It’s strange, but it happens with every one of them.
It must smell like death or they can feel the sad souls that are left in there.
Your dog or cat will be restrained, held down by 1 or 2 vet techs depending on the size and how freaked out they are.
Then a euthanasia tech or a vet will start the process.
They will find a vein in the front leg and inject a lethal dose of the ‘pink stuff’
Hopefully your pet doesn’t panic from being restrained and jerk.
I’ve seen the needles tear out of a leg and been covered with the resulting blood…
and been defeaned by the yelps and screams.
They all don’t just ‘go to sleep’
sometimes they spasm for a while,
gasp for air,
and defecate on themselves.
Remember,
You took responsibility for this pet.
Their lives depend on YOU.
The End.
Please help promote responsible decisions by helping to educate people
BEFORE they make a decision to add a pet to the family.
Please promote ADOPTION FIRST
You can find ALL breeds of dogs, cats, rabbits, etc at shelters.
There is no need to buy an animal.
You might save a beautiful, innocent life.
The Idea behind ’72 Hours’
The sequence was originally going to be titled ‘The Last Day’ and would show the routine of the same animal in a shelter across 24 hours of its last day, ending with a photograph of an empty table where the dog/cat was euthanised. When I arrived at the animal shelter I realised they weren’t a ‘kill shelter’ (ie. they only take as many animals as they have spaces for) so I ended up taking various photos of the cats (all the dogs out the back had gone to sleep).
I think I’m going to rename it ’72 Hours’ based off a facebook post from the director of an animal shelter. Much of what was posted will be included above in the captions for the photos. Here is the original link if you’re interested; https://www.facebook.com/notes/tranquility-trail-animal-sanctuary/the-sad-reality-of-what-happens-to-most-animals-surrendered-animals-at-shelters-/451654852874
I haven’t edited these photos yet but when I get the time I want to change the white balance so the photos aren’t so yellow.
SAVE-A-PET Animal Rescue and Adoption (business card description) I may or may not include the card as the last photograph of the sequence
At Save-A-Pet we believe it is our moral responsibility to protect and improve the lives of abused, abandoned, and homeless animals, and to place the in loving permanent homes. We provide spray and neuter services and any necessary medical care.
We work diligently to educate the public, especially children, on the importance of pet sterilisation and responsible pet ownership.
Save-A-Pet is a non-profit IRS approved organisation