My beloved Shayla, who came from the pound herself. Unfortunately, due to joblessness and a couple months of homelessness, Shayla had to be rehomed through Australian Shepherd Rescue and Placement Helpline. She now lives in the Ketchikan with a new family. Yes, she is 3-legged.
What really happens at the pound…from the Bend Craigslist.
Reply to: see below
Date: 2007-05-18, 12:29PM PDT
I am posting this (and it is long) because I think our society needs a huge wake-up call. As a shelter manager, I am going to share a little insight with you all – a view from the inside, if you will.
Maybe if you saw the life drain from a few sad, lost, confused eyes, you would change your mind about breeding and selling to people you don’t even know – that puppy you just sold will most likely end up in my shelter when it’s not a cute little puppy anymore. How would you feel if you knew that there’s about a 90% chance that dog will never walk out of the shelter it is going to be dumped at – purebred or not!
About 50% of all of the dogs that are “owner surrenders” or “strays” that come into my shelter are purebred dogs. The most common excuses I hear are:
We are moving and we can’t take our dog (or cat). Really? Where are you moving to that doesn’t allow pets? The dog got bigger than we thought it would. How big did you think a German Shepherd would get? We don’t have time for her. Really? I work a 10-12 hour day and still have time for my 6 dogs! She’s tearing up our yard. How about bringing her inside, making her a part of your family?
They always tell me, “We just don’t want to have to stress about finding a place for her. We know she’ll get adopted – she’s a good dog”. Odds are your pet won’t get adopted, and how stressful do you think being in a shelter is?
Your pet has 72 hours to find a new family from the moment you drop it off, sometimes a little longer if the shelter isn’t full and your dog manages to stay completely healthy. If it sniffles, it dies. Your pet will be confined to a small run / kennel in a room with about 25 other barking or crying animals. It will have to relieve itself where it eats and sleeps. It will be depressed and it will cry constantly for the family that abandoned it. If your pet is lucky, I will have enough volunteers that day to take him / her for a walk. If I don’t, your pet won’t get any attention besides having a bowl of food slid under the kennel door and the waste sprayed out of its pen with a high-powered hose.
If your dog is big, black or any of the “bully” breeds (pit bull, rottweiler, mastiff, etc) it was pretty much dead when you walked it through the front door. Those dogs just don’t get adopted. If your dog doesn’t get adopted within its 72 hours and the shelter is full, it will be destroyed.
If the shelter isn’t full and your dog is good enough, and of a desirable enough breed, it may get a stay of execution, though not for long.
Most pets get very kennel protective after about a week and are destroyed for showing aggression. Even the sweetest dogs will turn in this environment. If your pet makes it over all of those hurdles, chances are it will get kennel cough or an upper respiratory infection and will be destroyed because shelters just don’t have the funds to pay for even a $100 treatment.
Here’s a little euthanasia 101 for those of you that have never witnessed a perfectly healthy, scared animal being “put-down”. First, your pet will be taken from its kennel on a leash. They always look like they think they are going for a walk – happy, wagging their tails. That is, until they get to “The Room”, when every one of them freaks out and puts on the breaks when we get to the door. It must smell like death, or they can feel the sad souls that are left in there. It’s strange, but it happens with every one of them.
Your dog or cat will be restrained, held down by 1 or 2 vet techs (depending on their size and how freaked out they are). A euthanasia tech or a vet will start the process. They find a vein in the front leg and inject a lethal dose of the “pink stuff”.
Hopefully your pet doesn’t panic from being restrained and jerk it’s leg. I’ve seen the needles tear out of a leg and been covered with the resulting blood, and been deafened by the yelps and screams. They all don’t just “go to sleep” – sometimes they spasm for a while, gasp for air and defecate on themselves.
When it all ends, your pet’s corpse will be stacked like firewood in a large freezer in the back, with all of the other animals that were killed, waiting to be picked up like garbage. What happens next? Cremated? Taken to the dump? Rendered into pet food? You’ll never know, and it probably won’t even cross your mind. It was just an animal, and you can always buy another one, right?I hope that those of you that have read this are bawling your eyes out and can’t get the pictures out of your head. I do everyday on the way home from work. I hate my job, I hate that it exists and I hate that it will always be there unless people make some changes and realize that the lives you are affecting go much farther than the pets you dump at a shelter.
Between 9 and 11 MILLION animals die every year in shelters and only you can stop it. I do my best to save every life I can but rescues are always full, and there are more animals coming in everyday than there are homes.
My point to all of this is DON’T BREED OR BUY WHILE SHELTER PETS DIE! Hate me if you want to – the truth hurts and reality is what it is. I just hope I maybe changed one person’s mind about breeding their dog, taking their loving pet to a shelter, or buying a dog. I hope that someone will walk into my shelter and say “I saw this thing on craigslist and it made me want to adopt”. That would make it all worth it. I will add to this: If you think you might not want to keep your pet for it’s ENTIRE LIFE, then, for heaven’s sake, DON’T GET ONE IN THE FIRST PLACE
Adventures of Life 
I adopted Tilley through STAAR, and I took Willow from an acquaintance who had stopped another lady from bringing her to the pound. We were going to place her through That’ll Do Border Collie Rescue, but I couldn’t give her up. We adopted Watson from the pound in Moses Lake, WA. I consider myself to be pretty stoic, but I left that place in tears. Animals shelters in the states are worse than those in Canada, and those in Canada are pretty horrific. I would euthanize my dogs at home before ever putting them in such an environment (just like I would euthanize my horses rather than risking their futures by selling them). But then my dogs would have no trouble finding a home if things went bad for us — they are all happy, healthy and very well trained family members. I’m sure it was the same for your Shayla.
Such a sad truth:-( I have a co-worker that adopted a rat terrier mx from the shelter and I don’t know where she got her cats… 5 YEARS later she comes into work one day and says “Well I’m pet free” with a big smile on her face 😮 She said she had her daughter take them to a “No Kill Shelter”…. I was in complete shock and just couldn’t believe someone could do that, ever since then I can’t stand this lady and I’m sure it shows, though I never told her how stupid and cruel I thought she was.
I’ve had greyhounds for the last 15 years and Limo was dumped off where I work as a 4 mo old pup.
I have always wanted more then one dog, but was not able to. Now that I have my own place and some acres I plan on, this spring going to the county pound and getting 1 or 2 more dogs. I can hardly wait!
One at a time, Kris, one at a time! They say that one dog is a lot of work and two is three times the work. Three dogs is a whole heck of a lot more! Be cautious of overwhelming your current dog by adding a lot of new family members at once. And, you’ll want to make sure everybody gets along! Otherwise, have fun and thanks for rescuing!
I think everyone needs to read that – I don’t want everyone getting a giant phobia of euthanasia – but it’s important to know what you are really doing when you flake out on your pet. And that’s what it is most of the time – flaking out.
But at the very least those kinds of people who dump their pets on the shelter – didn’t dump them on a lonely road somewhere and drive off – cause that’s worse and I see it happen ALL THE TIME out where we live. We live out in the country so folks from the city will drive out here and dump their cats and dog thinking they find a “good home” with “room to run” out here.
That is NOT the case. They usually end up getting hit by a car – shot at the first farm they wonder through – or starving to death.
I get so mad at people that do that! Especially if they went out and bought a dog after seeing the latest Disney special and yes it “got too big” or “has too much energy” or just doesn’t act like the cute spotted dogs or the cute St. Bernard dogs did on TV. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Great minds think alike! Next it will be yellow labs because of Marley!
As i write this our lovely silky x poodle is in the pound. We lost her a week ago and to see her picture on latrobe shire website. It broke my heart to see her little eyes looking so sad! I called the emergency line right away and told them her ID number and made sure they keep her there for us to pick up. We will be picking her up in another 2 hours and we can’t wait to have her in our family again! i’ll be honest… I was making myself believe that now i knew she was safe she’ll get a new home and be adopted la la la. After reading this i want her home more than ever. No matter the cost she loves us and i wont be able to stand never knowing what happened to her after we decided to NOT pick her up.We love her and she deserves a chance.
Thanks for your comment. Hope you get your pup back! Glad to know that I made a difference in one pup’s life!
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my fking parents are takin my old dogs to the pound bcuz they “cost to much” god damn cock suckers wish they would fucking die
When you get a dog from the pound you pay for it. That money goes towards food for the other shelter dogs. But it also goes towards Euthanasia-B (The pink stuff). I will not support the shelters any longer.
Rather than adopting there:
Fight to stop unlicensed breeding Um, you don’t have to have a license to breed in the US
Look for a pet on craigslist from a family that is having to surrender their pet. You save the animal before it ever has to go to the shelter.
Contact a rescue that has an in with the shelter. Tell them you are looking for this and that. Specify that you want them to contact you to let you know that a pet is heading over to be euthanized so you can have the chance to rescue him. I have two cats that were on their way to the THE ROOM. They are given to you at no cost because you are saving the shelter money on Euthanasia-B
Animals are not people. They do not think like we do. They think survival all the time. They do not let injuries, hunger, or missing limbs doom them to death. They keep fighting. A dog would rather be stray and eat out of garbage cans or out in the wild than be put to sleep when they are healthy. Shelters are there for the love of the animals. But they are not listening.
So, don’t get a dog from the shelter because they have to euthanize pets? That’s freaking stupid! Do you want those poor animals to starve and where to you propose they all go if all the shelters closed? Will you take them all in? Idiot!
And this was not the the writer of this article, who is awesome. It’s to the silly person that says not to support the shelter!
Early last Friday morning, someone took our beautiful, loving, 18-yr old black Tiffany cat “Sheba” from us. She usually hung out on our front porch (her owner lives behind us, but never looked after her, so we adopted Sheba, and fed her & gave her love). Someone took her away from us, and it really hurts. She used to follow us when we walked out of our front door to go somewhere, and was always there waiting for us when we returned (she would walk with us to our porch, and then roll over on her back & wait for us to rub her belly, and give her a hug). Now, she’s not there. Even now, we still have the urge to walk outside and call her name, even though we know she’s not there
We live in the Point Loma area of San Diego, Ca., close to Shelter Island. If anyone in that area reads this, and you have seen our cat, or (maybe) knows someone who has, please contact us at 619-788-7916.
(Open a abused/homeless animal shelter. No More Abuse Pounds!around USA)
i have opened this idea to “Pepsi REFRESH PROJECT” please help join the cause. i hate animal shelters i know what happens to them in shelters. I want to build these RESCUE shelters where dogs/cats/etc. will be taken care of and will not be turned away and not a single animal will be killed if it isnt at the point of death. We will try to rescue all animals no helpless animal should be put through this. Please help me i plan to put these shelters around the USA, as many as possible especially in cities were strays and shelters are in need.
SUPPORT PLEASE
STARTING OCTOBER 1st i will submit the idea so put it in your planners To remind you to vote this is very near and dear to my heart.
IT is awful
I have a shepard/husky mix that’s five years old. I love her but have MS and am now disabled. The shelter is full where I live (space coast Florida) anyway but I’m unable to care for her, barely can take care of myself now.
Not much someone in my situation can do.
Yes, actually, there is a lot you can do. You can contact rescue groups in your area to see if they can help you place her or take her in themselves. You can post an ad offering her to a good home for free. Or, you can take her to the vet and have her humanely euthanized, staying with her as she passes so she goes with love and not fear instead of letting her live in fear and confusion for her last few days in an overcrowded animal shelter. There is a lot you can do. You just need to do what’s best for her because your obligation to her doesn’t stop just because you have a disability. And I understand your situation. My MIL has MS, so I know how debilitating it is. But you took her on and now you need to do what’s right.
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Thank you for posting this!
That’s exactly why I don’t have a dog yet. I can’t wait to adopt someday.
You’re welcome! Thanks for stopping by!
This had me in tears… the truth hurts doesn’t it. Well, you’ve definitely won me over. I’m definitely adopting a dog from an animal shelter now. I’ve not so long ago bought my puppy Primus though, I bet he’ll love a friend. In years to come I AM going to adopt another dog. This breaks my heart so much…. and your right, the pictures won’t get out of my head. I just hope those years will hurry up now! As I’m only 14… don’t judge by my age please, I’ve always been such a dog/animal lover and there the only things I care about. Honestly and truthfully… I do my research on dogs along with loads of other breeds, and I love my puppy Primus. He’s my best mate. 🙂
I AM definitely, no doubt about it – going to adopt in the future. I can’t wait to save a innocent life… Thank you so much for posting this.
Shaunna.
i wanted to adopt a dog from redbluff ca about a year ago but i didnt have money and i live in a trailer park it was sad to leave her ther
I HATE WHAT THEY DO! I’m doing a project against animals at the pound, and I never knew how bad it was
Against animals at the pound? You object to animals being in the pound? Or pounds in general? What do you propose we do with the overflow of unwanted pets in this country?
I got a free dog at an animal auction, because I thought it was being neglected, so the next day I took it to the pound. Maybe that was a bad decision.
my dogs a rottweiler and hes going to the pound tomorrow
there’s nothing i can do .. 😦
Heyy I feel really bad 😦 my mom took two of my dogs to da pound on friday its tues!!..im really sad it all happened jst because they tried bitting sum kid in his bike..,i guess its jst a,dogs reaction to run after a dumb bike.. This sux n it was two of them (poodles).. My heart is broken!!.. They were w us for almost 3 or 4 years!!:(( </3
You should have managed them better. After all, you, as the owner, are responsible for your dogs behaviors. Why were they not on leash? Why did you allow them to chase a bike to begin with? Why were you not in control of the situation? As bad as you may feel, YOU are responsible for what happened. Your mother as well, as what I’m assuming is the responsible adult owner. Next time, I hope you get some training classes for your dogs and yourself. You need to educate yourself about dogs so that YOU can prevent anything like this from happening again.
All my dogs have been rescued in some way or another. I rescued my first dog who was about 4 yrs old from a kill shelter. I rescued my puppy from a friend’s family who had drowned all the female puppies from the liter. Luckily I got there and took JD… I have had him for 9 years now. Sydney… I always watched her and the people I got her from gave her to me when they were going to Hawaii. She was about 8 years old… so sweet and loving. I rescued Bitsy from PetsMart… that is when I learned about dominant females. I spent 4 grand saving her life cause her vein in her neck was torn from Sydney. I sent her to Florida to live with my grandmother and father. I visit her every chance I get although she has 10 acres to run. One day I will get her back… I got Charlie when I moved to Texas… best personality and really smart. He was 2.5 years old when I got him. I love older dogs. They are the best. JD was my first puppy… LOTS of work. The older dogs… just great and really smart. I taught them to shake, roll over, sit, lay down, heel, stay, off, and how to play fetch… They are sweet and wonderful.
Buddy I lost to cancer. So sad… had him for 5 years. Spent so much trying to save him to find out that I couldnt. JD… I stil have him and my baby… he developed Lupus… but the best dog ever. Sydney going on 11 and bossy. I call her Chewbaca… that is how she sounds when she tells me she wants treats. Bitsy… had to fly her out to Florida.. I still see her and she cries and never leaves my side when she sees me. When Sydney passes I will get her… but right now.. she is in good hands. Charlie I just got him and love him to pieces… my other dogs are at my house and my mom is watching them until they move with me. Thought it was horrible but turns out Charlie had mange… demodex… and my dog JD who takes steroids cause of his Lupus… I am just glad we discovered this after taking him to a dermatologists so we can get him treated before anything happens. I am thinking about fostering… for older animals as they have a harder time getting adopted.
It was sad to see what happens… I went to see if I could get Charlie cause they had not called me and when I originally went the shelter was completely full… 2 days later… it was eerily empty. I cried my eyes out so much. It took thm 10 days to give me Charlie and neuter him… although I could have done it myself much sooner… He had developed a yeast infection on his skin, ears, etc… had a fever, demodex, itchy, blah blah blah…. I love him. He is a lab and now 80 pounds and thinks he is a lap dog and loves to cuddle…. LOVEs to cuddle and now play.
Older dogs are soooooooo sweet and the best thing. They dont require as much attention as puppies and can be trained easily. With Bitsy… she had some trauma… she was obviously abused by men… she was so scared of my husband… and father and had issues with peeing and pooping but when a dog is transferred from place to place you have to be patient and understanding that they need to figure out that they will have a home and not be transferred. As soon as she realized this… she stopped all her bad habits. She has the weirdest personality and is so dominant but is sooooo sweet to women. I love her soooo much. She is also my smallest dog I have ever owned at 40 pounds.
Hi thank you for this . It is very moving. I hope you can make a change and I am very supportive of your idea. Please try to make a change at your animal shelter. If it works, maybe this whole country will come to its senses. I am an owner of two dogs and I don’t want that happening to my dogs. Every time I go with my parents to give my dogs tick shots, it is unfortunately located at a shelter. The grief on the animals faces is undecribable. I am 11 years old but dont look at that. We both have a dream. Please reply. Thanks.
I hate the shelters but that’s the only place I’ve ever bought my dogs from. Thank you for taking time out of your day to write a thoughtful post like this. Everything you said was very eye opening and extremely sad. I’ve noticed how some of the dog wardens treat the dogs. I love saving life’s. Dogs aren’t just pets but family members also. It might not seem like a lot but every adoption from a shelter and everyone who might think about taking their dog in to one but don’t save lifes. Thank you again for this post.
Hi, I’m Danielle and I own four dogs. One purebred and 3 mutts. All of my dogs are my priority. When we had to move from our home, I would not close a deal on a house unless my babies where allowed. When we got short on cash, and didn’t have a way for dog food they would get my meals. My dogs are my best friends and they are not backyard mutts, they are family to me. We do everything together and all four (the purebred weighing 45 lbs) sleep with me.
I also wanted to say that I am looking to save another life. I am trying to work on my blue print for my future rescue, Pitbull Gaurdian Angels of Texas. But of course it won’t be just for pitbulls even though that is the most highly killed breed here in Texas.
My mom and dad got rid of my dog, and I was devistated. They took her to the shelter, and I knew she wouldn’t get adopted, because it takes her months to get used to people. I was crying, and holding her. We had to because she was old and had health problems. I miss her so much I can barely write this without crying. How can I feel better? I’m only 9
I am sorry your parents did this. If they made no attempt to have a veterinarian look at her I can’t say very much for them. Some day you will not have to live with them anymore.
I have a lovely dog I found about 3 months ago she so well behaved and smart is a standard size poodle I’ve gotten very attached to her but I can’t have her my home is small 2 bedrooms and 7 people live with me and this dog is so lovevable that I need to find a nice home for it she looks healthy has black curly hair super clean teeth and is a inside dog if anyone is willing to adopt her and find her a good home contact me as soon as possible ill send a video email:michoacanfullservice@yahoo.com
I have 2 dogs that were dropped off I’m trying to find good homes for, both males ( a chihuahua mix puppy & young Pomeranian), both friendly with kids , other dogs, not food aggressive, walk on leashes.Ive contacted a lady who helps place dogs, but apparently all they do is post on petfinder & make potential adopters fill out a contract? I need to find a foster or forever home,I have 2 dogs that I am very responsible with and taken care of , but these 2 new additions have changed that, I feel I don’t have the patience re-train myself to have 4 dogs. The pound is my last resort, but I know they are adoptable, just need help finding the right rescue/ foster.
Have you tried any of the other rescue groups in your area? Contacted area veterinarians? They usually know someone or can point you in the right direction. What about posting the dogs on Craigslist? Kijiji? Something like that? There are options if you’re willing to look hard enough. Even adoptable dogs are being PTS left and right in this economy.
My parents are taking my dogs to the pound tonight because one of them pees a lot. My parents love them and all but they are upset about the dogs. So here I am neglecting my homework and crying over what might happen to them. I hate my parents now.
I’ve had them for seven years. My parents think I’m over-reacting and expect me to continue on with my life, but they just don’t understand…
I had to move. The apartment complex does not allow dogs over 35 pounds. I had a handsome Pitt bull who was named Buster. I found him tied to a leash at my sister’s elementary school. He was skinny and dirty… yet he smiled, wagged his tail and showed affection. He didn’t bark or growl. I wanted to find the owner so I can compliment what a cool dog they had but he belonged to no one. The school was going to call animal control but I decided to take him in. I taught him 4 tricks and never abused him. I had to surrender him to a new owner. He now lives with a new owner with a 2 acre backyard. I miss him a lot and I wish I had a home with a nice yard for him. I wouldn’t trade him for anything in the world.. it saddens me to read this post because the new owner might not treat buster like I did. You say you barely have money for food and needs for dogs… but it doesn’t seem like you guys have a problem with having the pink stuff with you.. its crazy how you described that the dogs sense the room is full of sad souls… its such a shame..
s and never abused him even when he was bad. He always wanted to play and sometimes I’d be too busy with school..
My pound dog survived five months in the local no-kill shelter…and tonight he is happy, exhausted and sleeping at my feet. Can’t imagine anything better than rescuing a precious animal.
Agreed!
i got my dog from the pound here name was origanally cookie but we got rid of it and named here cc for cookie cloe.its sad to see how she was treated she only had one day intill she had the pink stuff.we didnt know it was a put down shelter untill the next day the website had no dogs.if we had known it was my dad said he would of adopted cc brother too but it was to late 😦
any ways cc’s pound was 5 hrs away.she had lots of problems like fear of cars and men.she loved to dig.she was not potty trained and she chewed like mad and finally she horeded her food but we trained here and loved here and many of her problems are gone but she still is scared of men .
i tought here to sit stay come and stand. this is the first time i rescued a dog i love the feeling you get that you saved a preciouse life.i have 3 dogs now all loved and never going to be given away like a old toy.this is the 4th year cc has been with me and she loves running with her buddys simon and tanner there males and nutered
I saw this exact article on another website…SOMEONE is copying and pasting.
Wow! Very observant of you! If you’ll note, I cited my source when I, too, copy and pasted this, albeit YEARS ago now. I never claimed to have written this. Rather, I just tried to spread awareness.