EVERY day I ask, to the silent air around around me, what is wrong with people? !!!
1… our homestead now hosts 56 throwaway cats, most found as starving castoffs that took us days or weeks to coax into a trap because they were too afraid while they tried to be invisible along the side of the road, hiding from the world and their deep fears. By the way, they are now all stable, neutered, fat, and secure. Our farm has the empathy to take these poor critters. The farm also hosts foster dogs, some of which become permanent residents.
2… every week, and I truly mean every week, I get calls about dogs or puppies that are running scared in the lava fields. Why in the world do people dump their dogs in the lava fields where there is no hope of water, food, or shelter? It is sickening. Some of these frightened creatures we can rescue. Others run deeper into the lava where they will eventually die a horrible death from thirst.
3. … why don’t people spay/neuter their dogs? Come on people, you are the cause of animal over population. I am aware that you don’t believe this, but let’s face facts, if your dog or cat is not neutered, you are 100% the problem. Even if your animal luckily doesn’t reproduce, you are setting the example for others who are less responsible, telling them that it’s ok to risk producing more unwanted puppies and kittens. (This is one situation where I will use "you" instead of ‘we" or "I". Contrary to Paul’s ban on the use of "you should", in this situation of irresponsible animal propagation, "you should’ is the way to go to try to get people to acknowledge the harm that they are doing.)
4… why do people think that it’s ok to produce litters in today’s overpopulated scenario? Oh they say, "I find homes for all the kittens and puppies, so it’s ok". No it’s not, unless you had everyone of those babies neutered before they went to their new homes. I highly applaud those who do that…..I boo/hiss those who don’t. Yeah, I can be a mean witch about that.
As part of my community volunteer efforts, I volunteer at our local spay/neuter clinics. Plus I help round up strays. So I’m a first line worker in the over population mess. Last weekend we neutered 52 dogs! The clinic before we did close to 60 puppies. And the last cat clinic we did 90. All for FREE, FREE. This year the organization has done over 2000 spay/neuters. And you know something…. the puppies and kittens still keep coming because there are people out there that won’t get their pets neutered. What’s wrong with people?
The shelters and rescues on Big Island, Hawaii are all over full, way beyond capacity. Yet the litters keep coming and there us no where for the babies to go. They end up being used for dog fighting bait, dumped in remote pastures where they end up being shot by ranchers, dumped in the lava fields, dumped at night everywhere else. Yes, I keep asking, what’s wrong with people.
I applaud every person who adopts one of these throwaway critters. It wasn’t their fault that they got born. And like you and I, they deserve a chance at a decent life.
Pant, sigh, deep breathe —— I step down off my soapbox. The insanity I deal with gets to be very frustrating. It seems to just get worse and worse. What’s wrong with people?