Andrea Rosebrock 
Every day hundreds and thousands of dogs are surrendered at animal shelters all over the country. You can tell someone when they sign that surrender form that their dog may not have much of a chance but I don’t think it really sinks that that surrender paper is often, sometimes more than 90% of the time, a death warrant!
A dear friend of mine told me the following story after a visit to her local shelter yesterday. She is a rescuer in VA who almost every day drives to at least one shelter to pull as many “death row” dogs as room allows. She see many sad and horrific things. Yesterday’s visit showed her some images that she’s seen before but thought sharing them might wake some people up who really don’t know the reality.
While she was there, a woman brought in a dog to surrender. The ACO handed her the surrender form and the woman asked if there was much of a chance of her dog getting adopted as the ACO told her to make sure she read the surrender form. This woman was told straight out that there was absolutely no room n the shelter and that her dog would not even making to the holding area, it would be taken directly to the “euth room” to be put down.
The woman didn’t blink an eye, signed the form and handed her dog over. The dog was led off to its death. After a few minute they noticed the woman still hanging around and asked her. She actaully had the heartless audacity to tell the ACO that she was waiting to get the poor doomed dog’s collar and leash back!
The woman just signed this dog’s death warrant and didn’t have the heart to feel the tiniest bit of pain, empathy or compassion for it, an older dog who probably spent years with her. No, she just want the $5 collar and leash back. Was she planning to get a new puppy to fill the now empty collar?
This was not the first time that had happened that day at that shelter. When Caroline arrived, the ACO was in tears because they had just had to put down two dogs the owner just surrendered. The dogs didn’t even have a chance. Owner surrenders can be immediately killed, there is no waiting or hold time on them. If a shelter is full, when the owner signs that surrender form, they are signing a death warrant!
This happens every day at shelters all over country, hundreds and thousands of times.
In Caroline’s post below, she doesn’t tell the story of the who dumped the dog and waited for it to be killed so she could get it’s collar, she does talk about other things though then shares a couple of pictures of reality. It hurts, it really hurts! This is what people who dump their dogs don’t see. Maybe if you help by sharing this, we can show them and they will think twice.
So Just What Did You Think Would Happen to Spot if You Dropped Him Off at the Local Shelter?
First let me start by saying this bulletin contains graphic images. The reason I chose to post these photos are multi faceted. First I want to clear up any illusions that owners in southwest Va have that their precious dog “spot” will surely find a home the reality is that spot has less than a 10% chance of getting out of the shelter alive. Despite saving 204 dogs in 2008 our county shelter still had a 90% + euth rate. To say say 20 dogs euthanized does not have the same effect as acutaly seeing it, being there. My only regret is that many of the folks I reach with this post already know what I am saying. I am preaching to the choir but for those that dont know, are not aware, heres your wake up call.
I chose today to post this after walking into a shelter to find one of the ACOs in tears. In tears because two dogs that were just owner surrendered never even made it to the kennel area they were immediately taken to the euth room and euthanized as there literally was not a single solitary empty kennel to put them in. I post this for her, for all the people who say they couldn’t do her job, for all the people who hate animal control this is a friendly reminder that you are the reason they are needed. For those of you who say animals wouldn’t die if it where not for AC. I ask would it be better for them to die of starvation, be hit by a car only to languish in a ditch for days unless death is a welcome relief? There is one person and ONE person only to blame and that is the OWNER.
I also post this for myself. For all the folks who think we try to raise funds too often, for all the folks that expect us to be cheerful as they surrender their pets, for all the folks who roll their eyes when us rescues give lecture on spay and neutering, on behavioral modification to correct behaviors that drove the owner to bring the animal to the shelter in the first place. For my extended family and friends who don’t understand why we are constantly stressed but also driven.
I post this for every owner that gets a dog without ever having researched the breed. They have no idea as to the dogs size, energy level or grooming needs. A little research and you would have known that a border collie would not be a good fit in your one bedroom apartment.
I post this for every rescue out there begging for help that falls, many times, on deaf ears.
Many if not most times they are the only thing standing between the animals and death.
Most time when a plea is cirrcullated about an animal in need many folks are generous with their funds, time and home a great number are saved but a great number are also lost and that is a side many dont see. More than anything this post is for them, in memory of them.
Shared with the permission of Saving Furry Friends. Thank you Caroline for sharing this with me and allowing my to share it with everyone. It’s heartbreaking but it is reality!
I too know the horrors that bestow these people who surrender their animals. Sorry D., I had a very hard time with the pictures, and had to close it out a few times to wipe my eyes from these tears falling down my face.
Caroline wrote a very tell tale piece there. I just wish that the general public out there would understand the dilemma our furry friends face.
Susie, I know that was tough to take, especially for those of us who do know. I want this to get out to the people who have their eyes and minds closed to the reality of what happens after they dump their dog, their pet at a shelter. So very few actually make it out alive….
I hear stories like this so often from Caro and have asked her to write something for me, well she finally did write something after she took the pix… yeah, reality sucks… especially for those in the bags… their reality is over.
D.
Oh D, those pictures really hit me hard. Those babies were beautiful, and should have had wonderful loving lives in a home where they were treated like little kings and queens.
This is one of your stories that I cannot share with my own sons and their wives, as they all would go adopt as many animals as they could and bring them home. (they would all cry non stop and be mad at me for sharing it with them also). They all know, just from what my volunteer efforts are in rescue.
What has become of our world when people think that “family pets” are disposable. Pets are not disposable, they are family, and should be treated as such.
This article brings home the horrid truth of our nation and society’s betrayal to the beautiful, loving animals we call pets. I just spent the weekend with a director of a rescue group who told me some similar stories, and of people who “get rid” of their faithful dogs just because they are old and not “fun” anymore. It is difficult not to go crazy with grief over the plight of our homeless animals – especially you that deal with it up front/close and personal on a daily manner. Until our elected officials come forth with the needed funding, and provisions for these needy animals, as well as affordable spay and neuter services (and fines and prison sentences for neglect/abuse, etc.) our dogs and cats will be discarded like trash in a nearby county shelter, because of no room, no medical services, under staffing and many times – UNDER CARING! Sorry, but I am just sick, sick and angry at the heartaches and undeserved suffering and death of Mans Best Friend at the hands of irresponsible human beings. Great article….a must read, for those who don’t kno!
I agree with you completely Netanya! The only problem is the to far too many people, they’re “just dogs” or “just cats” or whatever. We throw people away so you can imagine how little worth our furry companions have to the “powers that be” most of the time.
If only we could get this article out to the people it will really make a difference to. Most of the people who will see it already know the problem and realty.
D.
We should forward this article, with your permission D., to every senator and congressman that we can find an email address to, or print the article in whole, and mail it to our governmental officials. Maybe even the President, since the First Family now are pet parents.
Permission to reproduce and email? Would not do this without your full approval, but everyone here has to help in getting the word out. Even if these elected officials get duplicates, two is better than one!
Thoughts? Comments to my idea?
Susie, there is a link at the bottom to email it directly. Free free to email it to anyone and everyone that way and they will also be able to so the comments that are posted as well by everyone.
D.
D, I did not want to do anything without your permission, as you own the site. Just as we say in transporting emails “permission to crosspost” – always ask in advance!
thanks
You are so right Susie. I will try to get this to our idiot of a Governor in Calif. that wants to eauthanize these baby’s in just three days……”to get the State’s budget under control”! I too had a terribly difficult time looking at these pictures. Another reason, why I am actually very happy I did not get that Animal Control job. I think I would die seeing this in the reality it really is. Please people….stop surrendering your baby’s to be killed. Find them a home! So many out there would rather take your baby home with them, than know it will be killed in an instant, being surrendered to a shelter.
Thank you Caroline and D. As hard as this is to look at, it may help some pups out there not to end up with the same fate.
Don’ forget to send one to his wife who is the animal lover Jess!
Jess, I don’t think I could ever do a job that I had to deal with sights like this. Just doing what I do gets to me so bad some days. Please, share this… email it, post it to social networks… get the word out! If it can help save just one or two babies…. *sigh*
D.
That’s actually who I intend to send it to. That idiot of a governor we have, could care a less about animals, as we all know.
This is really heartbreaking. I would like to show these pictures and Caroline’s words to the next person who rolls his/her eyes at me or any *rescuer* I know when we speak about these problems.
And YES…that woman was returning merchandise so she could shop for a newer model.
Wouldn’t ya though Andrea? Think it would help?
Wish it was just a return…. in this case it was a “disposal”
i’m laying on my bed with my laptop, 2 of my dogs n 4 of my cats. tears r just streaming down my face. max, my wee rat boy, just came up 2 me n licked at them…o dear….can’t write any more right now. i’m sad n angry at the same time. bless these creatures who’ve been killed just because their ppl r “done” with them. don’t they know that when u “take on” a dog/cat it’s for life?
rest sweet critters……
Every day the horrors of what humans do to animals is just overwhelming. I can’t imagine taking one of my precious babies and dumping them to certain death. Just having to send them to the Bridge when their time has come hs been heartbreaking enough. I have the highest admiration for those who work in rescue and at the shelters. While I use my words as my “weapon” in this war against animal cruelty, my heart truly could not handle having to witness it first hand every day. While yes, there are some scumbags who take a job in AC, the vast majority have huge hearts and truly love the animals. I got a “canned” answer from “Mr. Atlas” in California with his insane reasoning for killing animals in 3 days. I had written and called in protest. Nothing will get through to him, not even his wife. He’ll keep paying for illegal immigrants, but murder the precious cats and dogs to save a buck. When did humans lose the capacity for compassion and caring about all creatures? God bless all of you who try to make a difference.
What a horrific way to die. People give up their animals and say they can’t afford them. Not true. You always have table scraps from dinner, breakfast or whatever. Humans have to eat. Well share them with your baby. Just make sure you get the information on what is not good for them. I know table scraps aren’t as healthy, but when you look at natural dog and cat foods you will find they have ingredients safe for a human. There is always a way. You just have to look. I couldn’t imagine any animal dying this way. In my book if you do this to your animal it makes you less than human. God gave us dogs and cats as companions and to love and cherish. Too bad we couldn’t publish these pictures for the entire world to see. Even if it wakes up one owner it is worth it.