(Apple Valley, CA) – My morning started off as mornings usually do. My alarm went off. Since my Devore Shelter rescue, Roxie, came to live with me, I have learned I had better pay attention to that alarm since it I also my cell phone and I really can’t afford to replace it regularly.
Roxie does not like the sound of my phone’s ringer−the sound of an old-fashioned telephone. The sound is so loud it could raise the dead, which is the exact reason I need it as my ringer first thing in the morning.
So far I have found my phone outside next to Roxie’s water bucket twice−fortunately she missed both times; buried as far under the bed covers as she could get it; and most recently, in her mouth with alarm going off full blast while she used her nose to open the toilet. Thankfully, Roxie has not mastered opening the toilet cover yet. But I digress greatly.
In my grogginess and grumpiness this morning I followed my usual routine. I checked my Facebook account for messages and then read my email. What a pleasant way to start off my morning. You see, the first post on my Facebook newsfeed was about a shelter in Tennessee where every single dog had been rescued in time for Christmas. WOW! If only there was news like that every morning. And then as I read my email I found a “thank you” from a stranger letting me know that the Examiner article I had written about Pets for Patriots had “saved a life.” It seems a veteran adopted a Devore Shelter dog thanks to the article. That makes this all seems worth it.
Unfortunately, these two occurrences do not reflect the harsh reality of pet homelessness in America. In the time it takes you to read this story, 20 homeless animals have been killed at the hands of shelter workers across America. Between today and Christmas day another 29,000 dogs and cats will be dead in this country due to the lack of loving homes. Many additional pets will be destroyed by this Friday so that shelter workers do not have to deal with them over the Christmas weekend.
Shelters across America are bursting at the seams with animals dumped due to the economy, puppy mills and backyard breeders, and pet owners who don’t understand the responsibility of obtaining a pet in the first place. Although euthanasia numbers are way down from just a few decades ago, thousands of healthy, beautiful and loving animals are killed every day, sometimes in the most inhumane manner, such as heartstick, decompression chambers, and gassing.
As you are shopping for gifts for your family, there is one I gift I hope you do not shop for and that is a new family pet. Our local shelters continue to kill unwanted dogs and cats at an alarming rate. These homeless pets only want someone to love them half as much as they are willing to love their humans. Please consider adopting an animal that will otherwise die because there is no more room at the inn. Now that is a Christmas gift in the truest meaning of the season.
If you live in an incorporated area, check your city’s website to see if it has its own shelter or contracts with the county. Apple Valley, Hesperia, Yucca Valley, Barstow, and many more, all have shelters where animals receive little attention due to remoteness. Here is a list of county shelters:
• The County's Animal Shelter in Devore, 19777 Shelter Way, (909) 887-8055. The shelter is open seven days a week at 10 a.m. and closes on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 6:30 p.m., on Wednesdays at 7 p.m., and on Saturday and Sunday at 5 p.m.
• The Big Bear Animal Shelter, 42080 Northshore Drive, Big Bear City, (909) 866-4943. This shelter is open on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Wednesdays from noon to 7 p.m. The shelter is closed on Sundays.
• The Dog's Day Inn, 19575 Bear Valley Rd, Apple Valley, (760) 961-7535. This shelter is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Sundays from 7 a.m. until noon.
All shelters will be closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day.
If you have any great pet-related stories you would like shared, please contact me at iepolitics2010@gmail.com, anonymously at www.iepolitics.com, or on Facebook. Please “Animal Welfare Examiner” Facebook page, which is under construction and will be completed in the next few days. I also write columns as the Palm Springs Government Examiner and Los Angeles Political Buzz Examiner. You can find all of my columns here. Follow me on Twitter @iepoliticscom.
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