Be Responsible by Spaying, Neutering and Adopting your Pets
By George L. Tibbetts Jr.
I love animals. I do because, since childhood, from cats and dogs to horses, pigs, chickens, cows and birds, animals have always been a part of my life.
When I was growing up in the 50’s, pets as well as animals of the food chain were always integral components of my generation’s way of life. For me animals came and went. I felt no particular emotion toward most of them and just accepted that they were around for today and could be gone tomorrow. Most were utilitarian additions to the household than they were pets. Dogs were raised to chase rabbits or retrieve fowl. Cats were responsible for keeping mice away from the chicken coops, livestock sheds, and garbage bins.
As for the livestock, there was a place reserved for them in one of our two freezers. They provided enough meat for our family of seven for an entire year. To obtain variety in our diet we would often trade pig, moose and deer meat for beef, lamb or fish. So life and the termination of it for these creatures were just, quite simply, part of our everyday existence. Ultimately, there just wasn’t much difference between a house cat and a head of cattle to my way of thinking back then.
There were benefits. We were a family of limited financial means and between raising animals, gardening, hunting and fishing our grocery bills as compared to the “city slickers” were much lower. To insure that our freezer inventory remained stable days would arrive when one or more of our animals would need to be slaughtered. If it was bacon we needed then a pig would be singled out. Usually the biggest porker would be pinned into a corner where one of us would fire a bullet from a 30/30 Winchester or a 30/40 Craig. The well placed shot would immediately send the animal’s soul directly to animal heaven. The good news was, that shortly thereafter fresh bacon would once again be hanging in the cellar way. I guess you can imagine where our family’s Thanksgiving Day turkey came from.
Next to the freezers were long shelves crammed full of canning jars filled with corn, green beans, beets, carrots and similar items. Preserves comprised of jams and jellies were also neatly stored for future consumption. Additionally, we stored potatoes, squash and other root vegetables fresh from our gardens. In the realm of things we ate like kings and queens.
My perspective on animals changed as I grew into adulthood. My love for meat remained strong but I did become a supporter of animal rights and supported programs intended to curtail cruelty to all animals. As for pets, my thinking changed when back in 1970. I called the animal shelter in Augusta because someone told me they had a Siberian husky. They confirmed that they did and, since I always wanted one, I was out the door in a flash.
When I arrived at the shelter the volunteer led me into the room filled with cages harboring dozens of abandoned or unwanted pets. I had never been to the shelter before and my heart sank as I viewed these dogs and cats of all ages scratching at the cage doors begging people to take them home. I think that might have been the first time I actually looked at animals as creatures with both a heart and soul. Ahead of me I saw the Husky. He was stunningly beautiful. I was told that he was a couple of years old and had been severely abused. I stopped in front of his cage and he looked at me as if to say, “It took you long enough to get here.” Within minutes I got a leash, signed some papers, made a healthy contribution and we were on our way. From the shelter to the car, he walked with his head touching my leg all the way. It was like I’d had him since he was a pup. We really loved each other and he brought me a great deal of joy. But, as is always the case with pets, they never live long enough.
From that first visit to the shelter until now I still reflect back to a time when people would deal with newly born and unwanted kittens or puppies by unceremoniously tossing them into the Kennebec River or off the Collin’s Mills Dam Bridge on Cobbossee Stream. Neither was it uncommon for people to rid themselves of unwanted mature cats and dogs by simply dropping them off in rural areas. I reflect, too, on a time when it wasn’t all that uncommon for some animals to meet their demise while looking down the barrel of a shotgun.
What people think now is that we have come a long way since those days. Animal control officers will pick up strays, sick and abandoned animals. People can leave abandoned and unwanted pets on the steps of shelters. A good thing too, is that there are now more and better equipped shelters. Many more people have developed a conscience with regard to spaying, neutering and providing proper diets and health care for the pets. Then all is right for the world of pets nowadays, right? The answer is a clear “no.”
Animal advocates tell us that shelters have recently experienced a serious surge in the amount of animals that come into their facilities and cite the economy as a key factor. Thousands of people can no longer afford to keep their pets. Thousands more have, or are about to lose their home. Many alternative arrangements don’t allow pets. The other problem is that many shelters are not receiving the funds they used to, because there’s not enough money to go around.
It used to be that many shelters had a “No Kill” policy but that policy is being revisited as well,during these trying times. At an alarming rate, more and more animals are being scheduled for lethal injections and the fires of incinerators. Not much different than the old days is it? The only exception may be that at least this trend keeps this horrific form of cruel execution out of sight and out of mind. We can do better.
I ask you all to keep these facts and trends in mind for the Holidays and into the New Year. Our local shelters are full of dedicated volunteers and staffers who spend countless hours trying to make sure that all the animals in their charge get the chance to live long, healthy and happy lives. To accomplish their goal they really need our help. Take the time to visit or call the shelter and see how you can help. Keep in mind that it isn’t all about the money. If you don’t have a bundle of that they sure could use your assistance in many other ways.
Information on the Augusta shelter is listed in this article but if you live elsewhere, there is one near you wherever that may be and their needs are the same. However, both the phone book and online sites will lead you to all the information you need to get started with supporting you’re your area shelters and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).
In the Augusta area contact:
Kennebec Valley Humane Society
Connor Animal Shelter
10 Pet Haven Lane
Augusta, Maine 04330
Phone: 207-626-3491
Fax: 207-621-6223
www.pethavenlane.org
