STORM2K

My parents split up in 1995. One of those tough times if your parents ever divorced, especially at this age. When my mom remarried in 98, now her and my step-dad have been together in this house for a couple years. We really have no Christmas. This year.. they arent buying presents. I didn't want anything (even though they have gotten me some stuff anyway.. parents ).

Today, my parents went to Wal*Mart, and in the midst of their shopping, bought many dog and cat toys. Later that day, we went to the Helping Hands Humane Society (Animal Shelter), and dropped all those toys off... a Christmas gift that was more important then any presents for ourselves. 2 years ago, we adopted a dog from the same place after losing my step-dad's dog that we got from his mom after she did. The dog was 16. We walked through the pound again. Seeing all the dogs and cats.. it's just so sad.

If you have maybe an extra dog toy, or something else. Give it to the local animal shelter for Christmas. Maybe 5 dollars. Something, anything. Or any charity for that matter.

Just remember... keep animal populations at a minimum so we don't have to put them in a animal shelter. If you can, go adopt one.

Hope everyone has a good Christmas.

-David

Wow David, your family sounds just like mine!! My parents split in 1994 (I was almost 12), and my mom remarried in 1996, and we are the same way, my mom doesn't decorate and Christmas isn't really celebrated (more due to tight money issues). (I do however celebrate Christmas at my dad's house.) I know how much it helps to have pets around during the hard times and I am an animal lover- so I will definitely buy some things at my WalMart and drop them off at our no-kill pound! Great idea- thanks for sharing and Merry Christmas!!

David, this is an excellent post. I am very active with the Humane Society in my area. I have adopted many animals from there. Just adopted 3 Shetland Ponies that were rescued from very bad conditions.

I donate every month. Remember that your Animal Shelters and Humane Societies need blankets and food for the animals when winter settles in.

Remember to spay or neuter your pet.

Sad but true ... many pets go for dead this time of year. This is when I have to go with Bob Barker's famous saying at the end of every of his The Price Is Right shows about spaying and/or neutering your pets, because it pays. It bereaks my heart to see so many of them get killed just because they are "leftovers" or "excess" pets.

An excellent reminder David and what a wonderful thing your family did!

Just an update.. we saw a 10 year old dog today that is small (we like small dogs, no damage to the house unlike with big dogs. ). We're taking our dog there tomorrow to see if they get along.. if they do, we are adopting another.

Joshua21Young wrote:Sad but true ... many pets go for dead this time of year. This is when I have to go with Bob Barker's famous saying at the end of every of his The Price Is Right shows about spaying and/or neutering your pets, because it pays. It bereaks my heart to see so many of them get killed just because they are "leftovers" or "excess" pets.

I thought of Bob Barker's "famous line" right after reading David's initial post and Linda's,
"Remember to spay or neuter your pet."

Awwww!! I hope the dogs get along!!

Here, the Sikeston Animal Shelter gets no funding other than private donations. At the market yesterday, they had a small can at the checkout, showing dogs and cats with the plea, "PLEASE FEED ME"...and I put what I could into it.

I did ask the checker how the cans were received by shoppers, and I was told that they are largely IGNORED.

This morning on local cable TV, the shelter was begging the public for bags of food for their animals, and/or to stop by and adopt one for Christmas...not ashamed to say I cried.

Oh my!! That makes me want to cry!!!

Me too! Poor animals, especially this time of the year... They don't deserve to be abused or abandoned, but especially around Christmas...

streetsoldier wrote:Here, the Sikeston Animal Shelter gets no funding other than private donations. At the market yesterday, they had a small can at the checkout, showing dogs and cats with the plea, "PLEASE FEED ME"...and I put what I could into it.

I did ask the checker how the cans were received by shoppers, and I was told that they are largely IGNORED.

This morning on local cable TV, the shelter was begging the public for bags of food for their animals, and/or to stop by and adopt one for Christmas...not ashamed to say I cried.

That is so sad. . Come on now.......How can people be like that. I hope they do get plenty of donations.........

Great post and funny you should bring this up, Macy, my SAR, NARC dog LOVES her stuffed toys (babies), she's got TONS of them (13 or so), we're gonna wash about 10 of them today, take them to our local Humane Society and get her *new used ones*. We buy the *babies* at the local St. Vincent De Pauls Thrift Store, which in turns helps the less fortunate in our community, so it's a "Circle of Love" so to speak.

The sad part to this whole story, there will be UNTOLD #'s of puppies, kittens given this Christmas Day, only to put outside, out of mind, on a chain because, after all, *cute* puppies grow up to be dogs *sigh*.......

Dennis

streetsoldier wrote:Here, the Sikeston Animal Shelter gets no funding other than private donations. At the market yesterday, they had a small can at the checkout, showing dogs and cats with the plea, "PLEASE FEED ME"...and I put what I could into it.

I did ask the checker how the cans were received by shoppers, and I was told that they are largely IGNORED.

This morning on local cable TV, the shelter was begging the public for bags of food for their animals, and/or to stop by and adopt one for Christmas...not ashamed to say I cried.

It is a very sad predictament all around the country. Around my area, there are more and more shelters that are a "do not kill" shelters which is wonderful!

This AM, I saw a new message on "public cable" from the shelter called "HOME FOR CHRISTMAS" ; still asking for food donations, they stated that they are sheltering over 100 dogs and puppies, but they're really over-run with cats and kittens!

It's not a large place...about the size of a three-bedroom ranch house with extra storage and a small clinical area, but they do have spacious outside runs and a pool for drinking/playing for the animals. The building is new, as is the landscaping, designed by one of my Lodge brothers to the shelter's specs of an "animal-friendly" environment.

That having been said, I still cringe when I recall that Annabelle's (she be a ho') previous "owner" was thinking about taking her there, but offered her to US instead...she was just a three-month-old poogle baby at the time, and they kept her locked in a car carrier when they weren't home.

As a result, Annabelle became VERY upset when any one of us left the house, and still does...she's SO afraid of being alone.