Sweet Judy SAVED!

Sweet Judy sat in the shelter for almost 2 months when she was pointed out to me. I introduced her to some people via a short youtube video, see link below, and suddenly everyone wanted her. Anton stepped up and contacted Pei People through a friend of ours, Nancy... and the rest is history. Sweet Judy has a very nice home with a man who has loved Shar Pei before. They make a great pair. Thank you Anton for caring and giving a great life to a wonderful little girl..

Best,

Robert
______________________________
Robert Cabral
BOUND ANGELS
"giving a voice to animals"
www.boundangels.org
www.BoundAngels.tv
www.youtube.com/boundangels

He Only Had 9 Days

Look at the face in this picture, look really close.  A sweet, young dog full of love and life who ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Truman entered the shelter and never left.  He is the face of millions of dogs that are killed each and every year.  Truman lived in the shelter for 9 days.  9 days..  9 days of looking through steel linked fencing at the outside world.  Not touched by human hands.  9 days of not touching grass or lifting his little leg against a tree.  No running, no romping.  No one knows what he thought or what he wanted to say.  

Was he hoping that someone would come get him?  Someone would give him a loving home?  Did he yearn for that rub on the belly or did he give up once the steel door closed behind him?  Where do dogs like Truman end up?  The end up piled into a garbage truck and carted off to disposal facilities that dispose of their carcasses in ways you could never imagine.  Piles and piles of cold, stiff dead bodies processed into everything from lipstick to dog food to fertilizer.  Remember, these are healthy, young adoptable animals that are just like the dogs sold at pet stores across America and around the world.

A friend of mine commented to me the other day, "Why should I adopt a dog at a shelter?  Why should I make it my problem, the fact that someone else didn't want the dog."  The answer is simple, the dog is not at fault and its not a problem.  Its a life.  Shelter dogs come in all sizes and colors, all breeds and personalities.  There are purebreds and mutts..  Its the biggest pet store in the world.  There is no problem with them, there are just not enough people who are compassionate enough to go and get them out.  

I have a purebred dog that I rescued before it went into the shelter, and it would have.  I rescued another dog from the shelter who died after living with me a very short while.  I can tell you that my heart was shattered on that day and has never healed fully since.  I don't think I could have loved him more or less because he came from a shelter.  He was full of life and spirit, full of love and made my life.  I think of him every day.  His name was Boots.  And, because of Boots I have dedicated so much more of my life to rescue.

Everyone can adopt a shelter dog.  If you can't, you can find someone who can and get one out.  Adopting a shelter dog is cool.  Much cooler than getting one from a pet store.  Shelter dogs have a better personality, have more spunk, have a little bit more of an edge....  and can do anything pet store dogs can do better.  They will love you more than a dog from a pet store, because believe it or not, they know YOU rescued them.  

I deal with behavioral issues on dogs and I see over and over again the dogs that were rescued have an amazing bond with their owners.  I've seen dogs that I've pulled out of shelters look at me in a way no other dog ever looked at me when I visit their house.  

Look at the face of Truman and realize that I came a day to late to get him, and so did a few others.  He never stood a chance in the shelter system of today.  He was an innocent victim.

BOUND ANGELS is looking for volunteers, warriors for the rights of the innocent victims.  Send us an email at boundangels@gmail.com and get involved.  Together we can change the system.

"How Could You?".... You Gotta Read This!

A man in Grand Rapids, Michigan incredibly took out a $7000 full page

ad in the paper to present the following essay to the people of his

community.

By Jim Willis, 2001

When I was a puppy, I entertained you with my antics and made you laugh. You called me your child, an despite a number of chewed shoes and a couple of murdered throw pillows, I became your best friend. Whenever I was "bad,"you'd shake your finger at me and ask "How could you?" – but then you'd relent and roll me over for a belly rub.

My housebreaking took a little longer than expected, because you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together. I remember those nights of nuzzling you in bed and listening to your confidences and secret dreams, and I believed that life could not be any more perfect. We went for long walks and runs in the park, car rides, stops for ice cream (I only got the cone because "ice cream is bad for dogs" you said), and I took long naps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of the day.

Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your career, and more time searching for a human mate. I waited for you patiently, comforted you through heartbreaks and disappointments, never chided you about bad decisions, and romped with glee at your homecomings, and when you fell in love. She, now your wife, is not a "dog person" -- still I welcomed her into our home, tried to show her affection, and obeyed her. I was happy because you were happy. Then the human babies came along and I shared your excitement. I wa fascinated by their pinkness, how they smelled, and I wanted to mother them, too. Only she and you worried that I might hurt them, and I spent most of my time banished to another room, or to a dog crate.

Oh, how I wanted to love them, but I became a "prisoner of love." As they began to grow, I became their friend. They clung to my fur and pulled themselves up on wobbly legs, poked fingers in my eyes, investigated my ears, and gave me kisses on my nose. I loved everything about them and their touch -- because your touch was now so infrequent -- and I would've defended them with my life if need be. I would sneak into their beds and listen to their worries and secret dreams, and together we waited for the sound of your car in the driveway. There had been a time, when others asked you if you had a dog, that you produced a photo of me from your wallet and told them stories about me.

These past few years, you just answered "yes" and changed the subject. I had gone from being "your dog" to "just a dog ," and you resented every expenditure on my behalf. Now, you have a new career opportunity in another city, and you and they will be moving to an apartment that does not allow pets. You've made the right decision for your "family," but there was a time when I was your only family.

I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the animal shelter. It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness. You filled out the paperwork and said "I know you will find a good home for her." They shrugged and gave you a pained look. They understand  the realities facing a middle-aged dog, even one with "papers." You had to pry your son's fingers loose from my collar as he screamed "No, Daddy! Please don't let them take my dog!" And I worried for him, and what lessons you had just taught him about friendship and loyalty, about love and responsibility, and about respect for all life. You gave me a good-bye pat on the head, avoided my eyes, and politely refused to take my collar and leash with you. You had a deadline to meet and now I have one, too. After you left, the two nice ladies said you probably knew about your upcoming move months ago and made no attempt to find me another good home. They shook their heads and asked "How could you?"

They are as attentive to us here in the shelter as their busy schedules allow. They feed us, of course, but I lost my appetite days ago. At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to the front, hoping it was you that you had changed your mind -- that this was all a bad dream... or I hoped it would at least be someone who cared, anyone who might save me.

When I realized I could not compete with the frolicking for attention of happy puppies, oblivious to their own fate, I retreated to a far corner and waited. I heard her footsteps as she came for me at the end of the day, and I padded along the aisle after her to a separate room. A blissfully quiet room. She placed me on the table and rubbed my ears, and told me not to worry. My heart pounded in anticipation of what was to come, but there was also a sense of relief. The prisoner of love had run out of days.

As is my nature, I was more concerned about her. The burden which she bears weighs heavily on her, and I know that, the same way I knew your every mood. She gently placed a tourniquet around my foreleg as a tear

ran down her cheek. I licked her hand in the same way I used to comfort you so many years ago. She expertly slid the hypodermic needle into my vein. As I felt the sting and the cool liquid coursing through my body, I lay down sleepily, looked into her kind eyes and murmured "How could you?"

Perhaps because she understood my dog speak, she said "I'm so sorry." She hugged me, and hurriedly explained it was her job to make sure I went to a better place, where I wouldn't be ignored or abused or

abandoned, or have to fend for myself -- a place of love and light so very different from this earthly place. And with my last bit of energy, I tried to convey to her with a thump of my tail that my "How could you?" was not directed at her. It was directed at you, My Beloved Master, I was thinking of you. I will think of you and wait for you forever. May everyone in your life continue to show you so much loyalty.

A Note from the Author: If "How Could You?" brought tears to your eyes as you read it, as it did to mine as I wrote it, it is because it is the composite story of the millions of formerly "owned" pets who die each year in American & Canadian animal shelters. Please use this to help educate, on your websites, in newsletters, on animal shelter and vet office bulletin boards. Tell the public that the decision to add a pet to the family is an important one for life, that animals deserve our love and sensible care, that finding another appropriate home for your animal is your responsibility and any local humane society or animal welfare league can offer you good advice, and that all life is precious. Please do your part to stop the killing, and encourage all spay & neuter campaigns in order to prevent unwanted animals.

Please pass this on to everyone, not to hurt them or make them sad, but it could save maybe, even one, unwanted pet.

Remember...They love UNCONDITIONALLY

DEAD in 7 Days

Take a good look at this dog. It could have been your dog. It could have been anyones dog, but it wasn't... She was just another statistic in an "Animal Care" system that isn't working... NOT AT ALL. The little girl was 2 years old when she was killed. Not by thugs, a car accident, not from sickness or negligence, but at the hands of our "Shelters." She lasted all of SEVEN days before she as killed. The reason? Overcrowding!! Its like a bucket of water, if you keep putting water into it, it will eventually overflow. The trick is to take some of the water out. That equates to several things, one is getting a system working that gets shelters into the business of adopting out dogs, not taking them in. Most shelters in LA and throughout the US are not as active as they could be in getting dogs adopted.

I am totally perplexed at the "pet overpopulation problem" when last year $2.1 BILLION was spent on live animal purchases. This while our shelters are killing 5 MILLION animals a year. I think we can do the math here. Most people don't want to go to a shelter because of several reasons: mainly they are in bad neighborhoods and they are depressing. I won't argue with either of those. But since we know the objection, wouldn't any good sales person look at a way to overcome that objection and make it work? Not if your status, income or job did not depend on your performance. The option is always there to kill the animals that are not placed, with little or no thought.

There is a bill on the table (AB1634), here in California, you can check out the site at www.cahealthypets.com The basis to the plan is mandatory spay and neutering. The wording of the bill is written in a sense that people would not be jailed, nor would their animals be taken from them if they are in violation of the bill. That is all fine and good, but what good is the bill if it punishes people for bad behavior, instead of rewarding them for good behavior. For the most part, I believe that most most animals should be neutered. If you are a 100% responsible person and can assure that your dog or cat will NEVER be out of your control, and never ACCIDENTALLY get another animal pregnant, then lets talk. I have only met a very small percentage of these people. Am I against responsible breeders? No! Am I for people breeding their dogs in their back yards or in puppymills? NO! I believe that most people should fix their dogs and stop this insanity.

A person who lives below the standard of living who can barely afford food and gas is not looking to a vet to spay and neuter their animal. Most responsible people who have dogs, have them spayed. It is people who can't afford it, or who are unaware of the problem that need to be addressed. Mobile spay and neuter clinics sent into areas where people can not afford the procedure is a far better answer. Pet food and rewards for people who spay and neuter their pets is a better incentive, then punishing those who can't afford it. Today most people can't afford medical care for themselves, let alone get their pets spayed and neutered. Make the procedure Available and Affordable. Try that. I am not saying that the idea of mandatory spay and neutering is not a good idea, conversely, I think its a GREAT IDEA. My point is make it accessible and EASY. I support anything that helps animals, but I also support things that make life a little easier for people who are trying to do the right thing. Read over the bill and think for yourself. I don't think it is what we need, because it does not address the important issue of making spay and neuter available for those who need it most and those whose situation affects the problem the most. Its an easy step for the government, because its a hands off approach. We need much more than this bill.

Look at the picture of the dog above... she died for the crime of being born. Her crime was life. She will never receive a pat on the head again, never run through a field, chase a ball or chew on a bone ever again. The reason is because the system is broken. She was brought to a place called a SHELTER, a shelter that did not SHELTER, but instead KILLED. There are plenty of steps we can take to fix it. DEMAND animal care in our shelters. Demand that shelters open their doors to the public during times after work hours, Demand mobile adoption programs, better shelter reform and lets not forget that the employees of these shelters are there to serve the animals. They should be available to be sure the animals are cared for, clean and that people who want to see them can get in and see them. The employees should not be crowded behind a desk in the main office texting or chatting when people are walking through the kennels looking for help.