Bideawee Tails from a Volunteer
BAD ECONOMY BAD FOR DOGS AND CATS by Florence Scarinci
"When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions" (Hamlet, Act IV, Sc. V, lines 78-79). That old Bard Shakespeare certainly understood the human condition. Five centuries after he wrote those famous lines, not much has changed, although today we might phrase it, "When it rains, it pours." But whether it is expressed in iambic pentameter or plain, ole English, anyone who has fallen victim to the bad economy knows what it means. And not only do the humans suffer but the animals suffer as well. Let me give you one example.
As you know, I love the Pembroke Welsh Corgi. I am a member of a regional breed club and I volunteer in various capacities for the betterment and protection of the breed. One of my favorite jobs, although often the most heart wrenching, is rescue. Rescue activities include retrieving a dog from a municipal shelter, fostering a dog until a suitable new home can be found, interviewing potential adopters, and recently evaluating a Corgi, who is an unwitting victim of the economy, to determine the type of home that would best be suited for him.
Yoda is a ten year old, handsome, red headed, tri-colored, neutered male Pembroke Welsh Corgi. He is playful, outgoing, and good with other dogs, cats, even rabbits. While not an obedience champion, he knows his manners. He responds appropriately to commands like "sit", "come," "stay". He is housebroken. He walks nicely on a leash except for frequent pauses to leave "pee" mail on trees and telephone poles. He doesn't chew furniture or rugs or disembowel his stuffed toys. But he is down on his luck and it is all because of the recession.
Yoda was the treasured companion of an elderly lady. Her only child, Gail, bought him in a pet store for company for her mother when her father died. For ten years Yoda did his job faithfully and admirably. He slept on her bed. He barked when the mail was delivered. He was her partner on long walks. But eventually those walks became shorter and shorter as the lady developed a chronic, incurable condition. Yoda never left her side and his happy personality brightened her day. Finally the lady succumbed to the condition and Yoda went to live with her daughter. The daughter loved Yoda and since he got along so well with her cats, she resolved to keep him.
But then things began to deteriorate for Gail. The company she had worked for for two decades suddenly went out of business. Being a talented bookkeeper with computer skills, she quickly found another job. Two months later that business had to lay employees off. Since she was the last one hired, she was the first one to be let go. After several months she was able to find another position, albeit at a lower wage. But she jumped at the chance to have benefits and to work close to home. It seemed that Yoda was going to live out the rest of his life with Gail. Then the unthinkable happened. Gail rents an apartment in a two family house. The house was going into foreclosure and she was going to be forced to move. On her reduced salary there weren't many apartments she could find and those she could afford did not accept pets.
Because Yoda had been purchased in a pet store, he did not have the lifetime return guarantee that he would have had if he had come from a reputable breeder. However, Gail knew about breed clubs and their rescue efforts and contacted one. So there I was at Gail's well kept, bright apartment to determine what kind of environment would be most suitable for Yoda in which to live out the remainder of his life.
Instantly I fell in love with this beautiful, playful, happy, well behaved, apparently healthy dog. Who wouldn't? Except for his age, he had everything anyone could want in a dog. But it broke my heart to know that this charming guy, at the age of ten, would be yanked from his familiar surroundings and from the one person he knew, to start all over again. Yet, in one sense,Yoda is lucky. Rescue will make sure that he gets an appropriate forever home and after some temporary upset in his life and routine, he will find himself with people who will love and indulge him.
But what about those mixed breed dogs and domestic cats who are no less loving and well behaved and who are being surrendered in droves because their owners cannot afford their food or basic veterinary care? Recent articles in local newspapers from New Haven to Orlando and from Portland, Maine to Portland, Oregon indicate that surrenders to shelters both private and municipal are up between 15% and 20%. Where will these dogs and cats go? Some, the fortunate, will find a safe haven at Bideawee where they will be given food and shelter and attention until the appropriate people adopt them. Do you think you might be such a person? Is there room in your heart for an older dog or cat who is the victim of a fluctuating economy? If so, why not check out the Bideawee shelters at Manhattan and Westhampton. There are some wonderful companions waiting for a new, forever home.
LIFE GOES ON: Bideawee's Pet Loss Support Group
A Therapy Dog at College Teaches Important Lessons
Part 2: ADOPTING AN OLDER DOG: Joys and Challenges
ADOPTING AN OLDER DOG: Joys and Challenges
The Cat Who Changed My Life
The Lonely Cat's Best Friends
Therapy Benefits: What's In It for Me?
