I’m not an animal expert. I have had pets since I was five years old and decided I needed my very own Lassie to be my constant companion like the collie on the TV show. I had two sisters at the time, but somehow I thought Lassie’s loving devotion to Timmy was what I needed for my birthday more than any toy. My parents gave me a wonderful collie mix we would take with us all over the country, including Hawaii.
I’ve had purebred and mixed dogs, a cat (but unofficially two), zebra finches, cockatiels, and beta fishes. I had two horses for a short time, one I leased for the summer and one they loaned me because I took such good care of the first one. We had to move since my dad was in the army, so I had to give her back.
For some time I have wanted to create a web site that was a place for people in Cochise County to go to get information on pets, especially on adopting homeless animals. I had been involved in the humane society for some time, and I was very aware of the large number of animals the local shelters and rescue groups tried to place in homes. But like everyone else I was busy with other things.
A few months ago I realized the problem was more serious than I thought. I found out on dogsindanger.com and from other sources that there are not any no-kill shelters around. Dogs are being killed simply because the “shelters” (formerly called pounds) run out of room (I refuse to use “euthanize” unless an animal is suffering). At the Pima County Animal Control Center, the number can be in the double digits daily. To a person of my belief that animals have souls, this was UNACCEPTABLE.
I realized it couldn’t wait until I retired, not when there are millions of animals being killed every year in the United States for no good reason (as dogsindanger.com said in a recent newsletter, there is real no way of knowing the actual number because it is NOT REQUIRED for animal control facilities to report how many animals they kill). It was time to do something now.
So I created “Cochise County Critter Corral” in the hopes it would save the lives of some pets. Right now the web site is only known to a few people, so I have to do more to publicize it. It can be found with a Google search on “pets “Cochise County”” but not on Yahoo unless it is on the gazillionth page (I submitted it to both). It’s like the story of the boy tossing starfishes back into the sea…it could mean a lot to this one. Or as one rescuer put it, “Until there are NONE rescue ONE.”
Your thoughtful comments are welcome, but if you’re one of those people who seems to live to give negative comments, especially when it comes to animals, don’t bother because they will not be posted.
I’ve had purebred and mixed dogs, a cat (but unofficially two), zebra finches, cockatiels, and beta fishes. I had two horses for a short time, one I leased for the summer and one they loaned me because I took such good care of the first one. We had to move since my dad was in the army, so I had to give her back.
For some time I have wanted to create a web site that was a place for people in Cochise County to go to get information on pets, especially on adopting homeless animals. I had been involved in the humane society for some time, and I was very aware of the large number of animals the local shelters and rescue groups tried to place in homes. But like everyone else I was busy with other things.
A few months ago I realized the problem was more serious than I thought. I found out on dogsindanger.com and from other sources that there are not any no-kill shelters around. Dogs are being killed simply because the “shelters” (formerly called pounds) run out of room (I refuse to use “euthanize” unless an animal is suffering). At the Pima County Animal Control Center, the number can be in the double digits daily. To a person of my belief that animals have souls, this was UNACCEPTABLE.
I realized it couldn’t wait until I retired, not when there are millions of animals being killed every year in the United States for no good reason (as dogsindanger.com said in a recent newsletter, there is real no way of knowing the actual number because it is NOT REQUIRED for animal control facilities to report how many animals they kill). It was time to do something now.
So I created “Cochise County Critter Corral” in the hopes it would save the lives of some pets. Right now the web site is only known to a few people, so I have to do more to publicize it. It can be found with a Google search on “pets “Cochise County”” but not on Yahoo unless it is on the gazillionth page (I submitted it to both). It’s like the story of the boy tossing starfishes back into the sea…it could mean a lot to this one. Or as one rescuer put it, “Until there are NONE rescue ONE.”
Your thoughtful comments are welcome, but if you’re one of those people who seems to live to give negative comments, especially when it comes to animals, don’t bother because they will not be posted.
Since this is Monday, and the night of the Rainbow Bridge ceremony, I will dedicate it to the latest victim of the Santa Cruz County Animal Control's lack of space, a totally adoptable terrier mix named Mystery (in the photo above) euthanized (more on that word later) on June 14, 2008. R.I.P., innocent soul.
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