Dog-House Blues

Yesterday I met a woman who had lost her husband to cancer. And then, she lost her home. She lost her home because, despite holding down two jobs, her paychecks were simply not enough to feed, clothe and otherwise care for herself and her two little kids. I met her at the shelter where I work, and she was turning in her two Silkie Terriers, more adorable dogs you couldn’t find. They were a little scraggly, in need of a good bath and brush out. But once we did all that, their coats would shine like a brand new penny and then, they would be ready to look for a new home.

The economy is hitting us hard. When I say “us”, I mean all of us. But in this context, I mean particularly those of us who are privileged to work in service to animals. Foreclosures are forcing good people to give up their beloved companion animals.

When those people bought those houses with mortgages that they could not afford, many of them also fulfilled a lifelong dream of getting a dog, perhaps for the kids, or maybe for companionship. Some of them had been waiting years to get out of an apartment that does not allow dogs and into a home where they can have all the companion animals they want. It must have been a really happy time for them; buying a home, furnishing it, telling all their friends, and going to the shelter or rescue to get a dog. Oh sure, many of these dogs were purchased from breeders or pet stores-----meaning that they were puppy mill dogs. But all in all, these were good, decent people who are responsible and caring in every way.

Working in a shelter allows me to see all kinds of things that those “on the outside” would never believe. Beautiful, healthy dogs and cats are routinely turned over to the shelter for reasons you and I could never, ever comprehend. “He’s gotten too big, he’s not big enough, he barks too much, he doesn’t bark enough, he is too friendly, he’s not friendly enough, he sheds, she doesn’t match the furniture, my roommate doesn’t like him, my boyfriend is allergic, my girlfriend hates dogs………”

These stupid, inane excuses go on and on and on ad nauseam! And then they drag in all their pets’ toys, their “blankies”, their “woobies” and their favorite food as if they were dropping their dogs off at a country club instead of a shelter where that animal will be confined to a small, cold, hard cage, or kennel, if he's lucky, and has, at best, a 50-50 chance of being euthanized.

And those of us at the shelter put on a smile, harden our hearts, and deal with the problem at hand. As much as we would love to shake these people and yell “WAKE UP”, we don’t. We don’t because we know that if we diss them, they won’t give us what we need, which is, information. We need information on their “beloved family member who is so very sweet and wouldn’t hurt a fly and is great with kids” We need to know: Does he get along with cats? Dogs? Kids? Is he house-trained? Does he do any tricks? Are there any health issues we need to address?

So you see, if we don’t act all phony and friendly and non-judgmental, then we won’t get the information we need to help this poor, voiceless animal. So we do what we can, and then we go home and we hug our own dog or cat just a little tighter and, perhaps, cry into their sweet, soft, fuzzy faces and, if we’re lucky, their soft bellies.

But now, there is a new class of people who are giving up their dogs. They have legitimate reasons to give them up……they are losing their homes, and the dog has to go. They are saddened, they are desperate, they are decent, compassionate folks who never dreamed they would be the ones adding to the pet overpopulation problem. And if they had gotten their dog or cat at the shelter to begin with, it’s doubly hard on the animal who is left wondering what the fuck he or she did to end up back in this horrible place, away from people he’s come to love, depend upon, and trust unconditionally. After all, didn’t he give unconditional love? Didn’t he protect them and care for them like the good wolf-dog that he is? So why, why did he end up back here?

When the war in Iraq started, shelters were inundated with dogs and cats whose guardians were headed overseas. With no family or friends stepping up to the plate, these animals ended up at the shelter. Some are fostered out, but most are not. We have those pets too. Now, with foreclosures and lay-offs and desperation in the hearts and minds of good citizens, we are over-capacity with animals who are victims of this administrations failure to lead, to shepherd, and to make sure that all is well when we turn out the lights at night on Main Street, USA.