I saw this picture on the web and also watched a piece on CNN about all of the pets that have been turned in to the shelters in the Gulf as collateral damage of the BP oil spill.
They said that people down there have been forced with the "hard" decision to get rid of their pets because they cannot afford to feed them due to job loss, etc.
Now people: maybe it's just me, but I don't get this. I really don't. As an animal lover and owner of four cats myself, I just don't get it.
Taking a pet into your home implies a heavy responsibility. It involves committing to keeping and caring for that animal for life - no matter what.
After all, I don't think there's a mad rush in the Gulf to turn children into the authorities because people can't feed them.
You may say that it's not the same thing, and you may not agree with me. That's okay. But, for me, it is. You just don't "get rid of" family members. And pets are part of the household, and family.
Americans value the family pet. I've been told it's not such a big deal in some other places, but here it is.
I saw one dog that was the family pet for nine years. Nine years! How could that family do that?
I could NEVER get rid of one of my cats!
4 comments:
I think that if someone was in a real crunch, they'd get rid of an animal before they let their kids or themselves go hungry. At least, I think that's how it should be. It is sad though that people are being driven to do this.
When we lost our cat we were devastated! I completely get what you are saying.
Plus there's always things one can cut back! How expensive is catfood, really?
I think you'll find this interesting; it's about the opposite problem-- people trying to reunite with lost pets, only to find that the animals have been taken in by others.
From the Film Movement web site:
Hailed as "absorbing," "a must see," "Oscar material" and "the best movie at SXSW," MINE is a documentary about the essential bond between humans and animals, set against the backdrop of one of the worst natural disasters in modern U.S. history: Hurricane Katrina. This gripping, character-driven story follows New Orleans residents as they attempt the daunting task of trying to reunite with their pets who have been adopted by families all over the country, and chronicles the custody battles that arise when two families love the same pet. Who determines the fate of the animals—and the people—involved? A compelling meditation on race, class and the power of compassion, MINE examines how we treat animals as an extension of how we view and treat each other.
Film Movement http://www.filmmovement.com/
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