Please read this!
my whole life, i have adopted cats from shelters always thinking it was better to help an animal in need than one who would most likely be purchased within a relatively short time period. however, i never knew about the abusive nature of puppy mills. when i wanted to introduce a dog to our household, adopting was out of the question because unfortunately the agencies near us had stringent rules, one being our lease had to allow pets. even though we were allowed cats, dogs were not approved. and with an absentee landlord, my husband knew we would never get caught as our neighbors liked us. so we bought blanca. and even though i am so grateful for having her, as i seriously view her as my child (may sound strange to some), having recently discovered the puppy mill atrocities (a month ago - yes, not every vegan is a fast learning one), i also feel guilty about not having waited and how i opted for a store bought companion. although i wouldn’t trade blanca for the world, i still think about my money that went back into a system that abuses their animals and supports the death of many others via overcrowded animal shelters.
so i think this post is a great one to read. vegan doesn’t mean you know every form of animal abuse or that you know them cold and can recite on demand. so having a community that is constantly sharing their knowledge is really helpful. it gives you the opportunity to share and learn. and i am so grateful for knowing what happens at puppy mills and what supporting them really means in terms of how animals are affected. my husband and i have prospects to get blanca a friend and i am glad that i now know why puppy mills are horrible means to introducing any companion to a household. so we are searching strictly though shelters and animal rescue agencies.
if you were like me and didn’t know about puppy mills until now, i definitely suggest reading up on their practices prior to any store bought friend.
Bunnies Part. II
Meet Little Bunny (pictured above). He is shy, loves to lay on his cushy bed, and loves to eat bananas. A few days ago I made a post about caged vs. caged bunnies (and other animals). This is a short continuation…
Yes, bunnies are one of the most adorable non-humans you will ever come upon. It’s probably the reason why they are also the most popular “pets” after cats and dogs and often the most in need of adoption after cats and dogs.
One thing that people don’t realize is that rabbits are individuals. One bunny may be the most well-bahaved of all human and non-human kids but you also have bunnies that for no reason develop what people refer to as “behavioral problems” usually a term that creeps up when an animal starts doing something that a human has no idea how to change.
What I am trying to say is…taking on a companion animal (“pet”) is a really great responsibility. You are taking responsibility for a life. We love our Little bunny and recently, he has become incontinent. We have no idea why or how. He has always been prone to infections and allergies. We’ve had to take him to the docs countless of times and experimented with different bedding products just to alleviate his allergies. He went to the docs a few weeks ago for x-rays and they could not find anything wrong with his tract or the reason why he can’t hold his urine anymore. It’s to the point that his underside is always wet. We have to towel him clean. While at the vet’s they shaved his underside because it was so bad but now that much of the hair has grown back, it is wet yet again.
The majority of non-humans can’t speak the way we can (human speak that is), so chances are we’ll never find what’s wrong with him.
While the above is probably an “extreme” example, this is something people need to consider when taking on a “pet”…these “behavioral problems” (be it something as mundane and natural as barking, getting happy and hyper when people come to visit, chewing on your shoes, etc. or any other behavior) shouldn’t be used as an excuse for people to dump their animals in the pound or euthanize them. You made the commitment to this life, and you need to stick with it.
Realize that they are not things to be thrown out when you don’t want to “deal” with them anymore or when their vet bills get to be more than the price of purchase. Sick isn’t it? To think that any life would come with a price tag and how easily it is for some to abandon those that they swore had become part of the family.
In summary, please don’t get animals because they are cute. Make sure you understand that to make the decision to adopt (Please don’t buy! Buying promotes the breeding of even more animals that will end up homeless and is responsible for the death of millions of animals in shelters every year. “Puppy mills” and other breeding operations are full of abuse, neglect, and treat their animals as machines to use and exploit for money. Please adopt if you are thinking of making a commitment to a non-human life. There are SO many animals in need. Also, please don’t breed your own animals - spay/neuter..otherwise this just adds to the number of homeless animals and animals that get killed in shelters every year!!) any living being is a HUGE step and a commitment you make for life…..
(via simplyvegan-deactivated20110110)
