Some Days Throwing in the Towel is so Tempting

 Today was a bad, bad day for Missouri dogs.    Today was a bad day for dogs and people who love them all across our country.   Our state congress and our governor in their infinite hillbilly wisdom have chosen to repeal Proposition B.    It's really not a big deal is it?   It's just thousands of hours of work, hundreds of volunteers giving their time, money and energy.  Or how about that nonsense of the wonderful satisfaction of accomplishment when Proposition B made it on the ballot and went on to become law.   How awful of people to actually want dogs to have room to move,  veterinarian check ups, plenty of food, clean water and other outlandish demands.    I am so so so disgusted by our political process.   The dog factories of Missouri are big business and that seems to be more important to our elected officials than the voice of the people.   The broken spirits and broken bodies of these dogs can now be officially seen as blood on the hands of these fools in Jefferson City.    I have never been so disheartened or disgusted by the political process.   I wish I could just go to Jeff City and berate these idiots for their foolish and despicable actions.

Right now there are two dogs in local shelters that need a home but with the influx of puppy mill dogs into society places for them have already been taken.    Our group doesn't have room, other groups don't have room and these poor dogs are most likely going to lose their lives in the next few days.   I've been trying to get the word out about one adorable shih tzu at Jefferson County animal control, pissing people off in the mean time because I'm encouraging them to adopt this boy instead of one of our own.    In my mind, dogs that are in foster care within any group are safe.   How can it hurt tos steer someone to this boy to save his life?  He was turned in by an owner so that means he's not even put on "stray hold".   When room runs out, he'll be one of the first to go because it's definite nobody is out there looking for him because they dumped him off at the shelter like you would drive your old dirty sofa to the dump.

There's another sweet pom at the same shelter.   The sad news about this guy is that he was actually found as a stray last week by the son of one of our volunteers.   His Mom took him in ad worked on finding his owners.   There was a general sense of relief when she found his family within just a couple of days.   There was a bit of a concern because the dog had become lost when a small child in the family dropped his leash.    I mistakenly assumed that they would be so happy to have this boy back in their life that they would teach their children how to keep their dog safe.   Unfortunately, this sweet boy was turned back into animal control in Arnold and transferred to Jefferson County.   The family that originally lost him had only just recently adopted him.   He was returned for housebreaking issues and because he seemed to be in pain when picked up.    Did anyone think they may be picking him up wrong?

One of the big pieces of advice I keep getting in the rescue world is "you can't save them all" but you know what?   Sometimes there are ones that I really want to be saved - I'm not saying that these dogs are more valuable than others or deserve to be saved more.   I'm just saying these dogs are both about 10 years old and I don't think it's right they spend their last days cold, lonely, sad and scared in a shelter.   I can't help but feel a heavy sadness because I know these are only two of the hundreds of dogs just in our immediate area who are running out of time.

It's very upsetting ... we don't have room for either of these boys.   I, as an individual, feel responsible for letting these dogs down.    We, as a group,  should feel responsible.    And now our state has guaranteed that countless dogs in Missouri will continue to be let down for generations to come whether they're in overcrowded shelters or filthy puppy mills.  

But because of this sadness, because of this disgust - we can't throw in the towel.   If we do, there is no chance that things will ever change.    Please  help get the word out about both the Shih Tzu and Pom.

http://jeffcomo.animalshelternet.com/