Pets on Death Row

After getting my own little cat last September,when surfing the Net for tips on how to keep my new companion happy, I did keep on encountering statements to the effect that 'for every sweet housepet, there are just as many, if not more, animals every bit as sweet, who are euthanised every year, not because they are ill, not because they are injured or disabled, but because they are unwanted.' This video coming up is graphic, to say the least. As someone sarcastically noted on a similar video, for those who are so anxious to watch the miracle of birth in the animals they don't neuter, well then why not send them along to a shelter to watch the miracle of death. Well here, I have saved you you the trouble: you can watch the life ebb out from perfectly healthy dogs, beautiful kittens full of curiosity and trust, right here. The euthanisers' word for their work was 'holocaust'. Once the life spark is gone, we see the business of body disposal into bin bags, and then the incinerator. Every day, and almost everywhere in every city and country in thw world. It is worth being clear exactly what is happening here too: this is not 'euthanasia' as we currently understand the term: it is killing. In that video at least, the animals are put down sensitively and humanely, but that is not always the case. Usually, quicker and more economical means have to be found in going about the business of extinguishing life: the stab in the heart is apparently a very painful way to go engendering much suffering - or there is the gas chamber, as you can see: here. There are always those utilitatian and rational souls who will declare that a good, humane death is a far more dignified way to go, rather than being confined forever in a cage. If, that is, there is the caring, humane approach taken to this form of holocaust, as shown in the first video I have posted here. Much is made of the mathematical equation: irresponsible breeding, failing to spay and neuter pets has led to this, now there are simply not enough homes to go round. The short-tem logistics of this certainly do seem pretty formidable. It is hard to imagine what doing this job must be like for those who did care about the animals in their shelters, for whom no adoption was forthcoming. Personally I think this situation is one of the worst indictments of our wonderful species's ability to create a world that is even remotely sustainable, and it is other species that are paying for it. This is a world in which living, sentient creatures are regarded as nothing more than commodities that are just as easily disposed of when the initial interest wears off and the responsibility of caring for an animal becomes too much. Yes, the support systems are not in place, there is a recession on, people not being able to keep their homes, remain in their neighbourhoods, keep their jobs. Insurance packages mean that vetinary fees end up being beyond the means of those who are even ressonably well off. Then, however, I hear about the feeble excuses of those who dump their animals at kill shelters, ranging from 'the colour of my siamese cats no longer matches the colour scheme of my new furniture,' or 'I have no time for him/her,' or 'new baby,' or animal is too playful/not playful enough,' or 'my animal is too old and no longer attractive.' All the excuses anyone might ever wish to hear are posted each day, every day, at just one notorious kill shelter, the ACC, as reported by a pressure group of volunteers fighting to save some of these animals by publishng their photos and bios daily on Facebook called 'Pets on Death Row'. In this case, it does seem that this is not all about emoting animal activists railing purely from sentiment about a rational, utilitarian-but-fair institution that unfortunately has to make some tough decisions, boo-hoo. The shelters in NYC never say no to any animal surrendered here, but they are, of course, working on a shoestring and all 'accountability' may mean as we have fondly come to know the word is in reaching financial targets. The troube is, this allegedly means that animals are becoming ill due to serious neglect, only then giving management more pretexts to euthanise. Often for transmissable illnesses that could be prevented, were simple hygienic measures routinely adhered to. Finally, any excuse is used to label a fightened cat or dog, when being examined in an scary environment, as having behavioural difficulties and therefore being unsuitable for adoption. Worst of all, it seems that there are many individuals within resonable reach of the vicinity that are ready to adopt, foster or rescue, but due to cost-cutting measures, it is now almost impossible to communicate with the institution so that they can be saved in time, and animals have been known to fall through the cracks and been killed even where adopter and rescue have been lined up, due to lack of manned phone lines, computer glitches and the like. What is allegedly happening is that many feral and stray animals, even where ear-tipped to show they have been neutered, or belong to a specific colony, are being rounded up by zealous State employees to these shelters for a little extra pay, and being slaughtered as part of various grand 'Keep our City Clean' campaigns. Basically, it seems that many more euthanasias could be prevented and that there are enough potential owners, rescues and fosters to make a real difference. Finally, here is a story of a win-win situation where animals can make a real difference in prisons, here and here. Things could be so different. And these are only very modest moves to create a Better World too.