The Drop Off

It starts with a happy car ride with the windows down and the wind rushing by. What he doesn’t know is where you are going. What he doesn’t know is that you aren’t staying with him.
I’ve seen it happen several times. One time in particular stands out in my mind. A family with two children walked up to the shelter. With them was a small dog on a leash. The family looked picture perfect, but what they were there for was not so pleasant. They had run into financial problems; I was unable to hear exactly what had happened. They would no longer be able to afford to care for their dog so they brought him to the shelter in hopes that he would find a new loving family to take care of him. I watched them as the father got down on his knees to wish their beloved pet one final goodbye. I watched as tears began to fill his eyes, and the children gathered around to say their goodbyes. The whole family hugged the dog one last time, and then within moments they were gone. The dog was taken inside to be checked by a veterinarian before he was put up for adoption, and out front it was as if the scene had never happened.

But it did happen, and it still is happening at shelters all across the nation. Owner surrender rates are rising, and adoption rates are falling. Meanwhile the California Government has cut funding for shelters, revoking the very laws that require shelters to hold your pet until you can reclaim him.
America’s pets have become the silent victims of the economy. They are silent because few have chosen to speak on their behalf. Few are even aware. This blog will be their voice. This blog will be the voice of the unwanted.