People can argue with us that we cannot compare children to animals, but they are oh so wrong. We are all creatures of God. Killing is not the answer to anything.

I must get a minimum of 500 emails a day on dogs needing to be saved before a certain day, then they will be pts. I cannot tell you how many times I have cried myself to sleep because I could not help a certain dog that caught my attention. I sincerely wish every judge and attorney could spend a day or two with us who are out in the field, or work with a shelter or rescue for 48 hrs straight to comprehend and finally get the picture, because none of them get it. It is not that difficult to understand – an abused dog? Let them see first hand that they all deserve better than what they were dealt. Patience, training, repitition and more patience is the only thing that will change an animals attitude.

Saying it like it is, or at least as how I see it and think it is, has always been my “natural bent”. It took me years and years to recognize that this is not a generally appreciated personality trait by others. But then, if it were, Hans Christian Andersen would not have had the inspiration for “The Emperor’s New Clothes”.

Your comparison is so right on and so true. But then people would argue, well these are humans that is different. I would argue back, no, we are talking about life and our willingness, for all but human life, to take the easy road, the cheapest path, the quick decision, the “be realistic” solution that euthanasia is the only solution to pet overpopulation, and that just as in the Holocaust, that the weakest, the sickest, the troublesome, the least likely to be “useful” will die. As long as we accept that this is the realistic solution and the only one, then euthanasia will continue. People will shake their heads, say how sad and lament, “it is the only solution.” It is not; it is the easy solution and the least troublesome for most. It certainly was for ASPCA and all invovled in this “final solution” for Oreo. They chose to take the heat than take the chance that they might be wrong and that she could have been saved. If only they cared enough. If only they had not bought into the “euthansia solution”. Let’s call it what it is the killing solution. Kill as the solution to resolve our pet overpopulation or other shelter issues.

One of my favorite phrases is “One for all, and all for one” – I always think about that phrase when people do not understand animal advocacy. Sure, more people might step up when there is a national story, but there are thousands of other dogs who need rehabilitation, medical needs, and a new home. When we speak of one dog, and work for the animals, we are talking all dogs.

What happened to Oreo is very sad. The ASPCA was probably looking at dollar signs, as to how much time, engery and effort was going to go into Oreo, as a lone dog, when they have hundreds of other dogs to take care of also.

But, when you have viable rescues opening their arms to help rehab a dog, which does not happen overnight, or in a month or two. Reteaching an animal to trust is a long term relationship with that animal. Oreo has mistrust in her eyes, she has no idea what it is to be loved, cuddled and spoiled. It could take years, but within that time, she will learn to be the dog she was born to be, and be happy, having a place to call home, and doing all those terrible pit related things to her new parents like licking them to death, hogging the sofa or bed, body wags, etc.

Every dog is like that, and every dog is entitled to be treated as such.

I want to throw a comparison out there, just for arguments sake. There are thousands of children who have been abused, there are thousands of children who have suffered some sort of brain injury, whether they were born with it, or got the brain injury during their short life time. Would any of you just give up on a child who has injuries, whether it be brain or broken limbs? I am sure the answer is no, and to many of us, all the fur babies are our children. They are our four legged children. And whether it is a rescue dog I am working with or one of my own, giving up in any sense in not in my vocabulary.

There are tons of smaller groups that do not fall prey to the temptations of power, fame, money, and political correctness. If you are interested send D an e-mail directly and ask her to send you my blog e mail address, I can send you a list and some ideas.

I cannot for 100% speak for the AP ASPCA they feature out of NY but I think so as ASPCA headquarters are also in New York. I can answer for all those ads with all the big name stars and all the sad animals tell you a big YES. It is the ASPCA who runs those ads, and who gets that money. None other.

While I know this is a dog blog site, therefore maybe a bit OT, I find it hard to comprehend that the ASPCA has as a VP, a person, expert in his field that he is, who consults for and writes guidelines for the care of laboratory animals, the ones that are harmed, maimed and killed in the so called name of science. Dogs constitute a portion of those animals that are experimented on and killed, cats too. How is that possibly anti cruelty?