Think your dog
NEEDS to have one litter?
THINK AGAIN
Horrible isn't it? This is what happens to the dogs who end up in pounds and can't get rescued. They are killed and then put in binbags and thrown out with all the rest of the "rubbish" Some of them even go on as reindeer food even with the poison in their bodies.
"Number 683"
I am a poundie, let me tell you about me
I am a poundie, im number 683
I had a name, before I came here
But now I hang my head in fear
Im confused, I must have done something wrong
Is this Cell really where I belong?
Can someone please tell me, can someone explain
Why im feeling like this and in all this pain
Where are the kids, that cuddle me each day
Where is my blanket and my toys with which I play
Where is the sun and the grass beneath my feet
All there is now is steel bars and concrete
I hope my owners come back for me quick
My water is iced over and the food makes me sick
Im cold and im frightened and im feeling sad
Can someone please tell me if I did something bad
Im hoping one day it will be me that he'll chose
The man with the lead & the big steel shoes
I wish he would please take me back to my home
I dont like it here, im cold and alone
I am a poundie, this is me
I am a poundie, im number 683…..
They end up in the pounds scared and alone with no hope other than those volunteers who try to find them rescue spaces. Here are 2 accounts from pound helpers.
Quote:
In the last few yrs that i have helped out we have only lost 2 dogs and that
was because the dog warden had a last min change of shift and came up at 9am in the
mornning and took the 2 dogs for PTS in the vets. We HAD got rescue space for them
at the last minute and were told they had to be moved out by the end of the day so
were due to collect them at 3pm to transport them when She rang up at 10am to
tell the pound this they said it was too late and they had gone!
A beautiful Doberman and a JRT :RIP: sweet angels.
IT hit us hard we both were so upset and sooo frustrated but becuase we are simply volunteers we could not kick up too
much of a fuss for fear of them telling us to get lost.
At the end of the day we and the dogs are lucky that he (pound owner) allows us to go up and do what we do. She has been doing it a bit longer than me and she told me it took her a long time to gain the trust of the pound owner and even now he is very weary if we have strangers helping us transport. He always asks me or her to be present so we can check its all kosha.
My mission this year is to try and talk them into letting the dogs have bedding. Last winter i was constantly in tears when leaving the pound. In all that snow and ice the dogs had nothing but a plastic bed and a sheet of carboard in it if they are lucky when i questioned her as to why he was aloud to get away with this she said its because under RSPCA he only needs to give them the basic needs shelter, food, water and a bed. She said she has battled with him before about giving them a blanket and he wont have it. She is a vetinary nurse as her day job and is so frustrated that these dogs are not getting warmth in the winter. What will it take? A dog to die of hypothermia for him to let us put blankets in these cold cells!?!
This year we are going to try ask him again and Im going to offer to go up once a week and take the dirty bedding wash it and replace with clean. I cannot see those dogs go thru another winter up there with no warmth, its heatbreaking..:-((
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Quote:
I volunteer with a small group of people who try and secure rescue spaces for the dogs in the council"pound" that have not been reclaimed or re homed and are in danger of being put to sleep. They have done nothing wrong. They are unwanted or abandoned. Living, breathing, feeling animals.
The list of dogs is checked every day on the "pound"website. As soon as new dogs appear their pictures and details are put on 3 different forums in hope that a rescue space will be offered to them via one of the rescues who use these sites. Mass e mails are also sent out to the many rescues who do not use the sites, followed up by phone calls to see if they can offer one of "our" dogs a space.
All this work is done by ONE person.
When a space has been secured is when I actively become involved. It's my job to try and arrange transport to get the dog (or if we are very lucky dogs) to the rescue space. Transport runs are posted up on the 3 forums and all the volunteers who have offered their services via the forums in the area's needed covering are pm'd to see if they can help with the run. Transport needed varies greatly - it can be a half hour run to a local rescue or a six and a half hour run to a rescue in Cornwall.
Why do we use rescues so far away I hear you ask? We use these because it's the chance to give another dog a better life.
It can take a few hours to more than a week to organise a transport run. We depend on volunteers and of course our volunteers also have lives to live so we have to work the run around when they are available to help. It can take up to 6
different volunteers to get a dog to Cornwall ! We only use rescues that home check before the dog is rehomed and who neuter, vaccinate and offer lifetime back up for the dog so if anything should go wrong with the re homing the dog will be safe. We do our utmost to try and ensure the dogs never end up in this situation again. Once the run is covered I work out a timetable of meeting places and times (agreed by the volunteers) to handover the dog. All persons involved on the run will also be given mobile numbers and car details of all other people involved.
I also try and keep all the websites up to date as to when a dog has been offered a rescue space and when a run has been completed. I also do the transport paperwork that needs to be sent to the pound to allow that dog to be released on the day of the transport run.
Emotionally, being a volunteer drains me. My heart sinks when I look at the pound list and see another brindle Staffy. I know that it is going to be so difficult to find him/her a rescue space as the whole rescue system is flooded with Staffy's and Bull Breeds. Because of the bad and inaccurate publicity they have received in the press these dogs are the most difficult to get rescue spaces for. Nobody wants to rehome a Devil Dog, do they!!! And because of the back yard breeders who have over bred these breeds to make a quick buck we are left with a dreadful situation.
I do quite a lot of transporting myself. It gives great satisfaction to meet the dogs whose lives you have helped to save. I have seen dogs in all different states - nervous and fearful, so thin there is nothing to them, some so cruelly treated by mankind but still they are so glad to see you and have cuddles. They are so forgiving. Sometimes I have cried, and sometimes I have fallen in love.
Why do I do what I do - this volunteering lark has taken over my life, there is always something to do !! I do it because I care about these dogs who did not have a say in who they went to live with, and did not have a say in how they were treated. They deserve better, and I will continue to help in order to achieve better for them.
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Did you know ??
The number of stray dogs reported by UK authorities overall has increased by 13% since last year. The grossed number now stands at an estimated 121,693 stray dogs across the UK, the highest it has been since 2000. Reported figures suggest that the majority (72%) of these dogs were seized by the local authority as strays.
Half (51%) of the estimated stray dogs handled in the UK between 1st April 2009 and 31st March 2010 were reunited with their owners, and a quarter (25%) were passed on to a welfare organisation or dog kennel for possible rehoming. A further 12% were re-homed by the local authority. Of the dogs that were returned to their owners, it was reported that 43% of these cases were a result of the owner contacting the local authority or pound directly. Micro-chipping continues to play an increasing role in tracing the owners of stray dogs, now accounting for over a third (35%) of stray dogs being returned to their owners.
Since 1999 the proportion of stray dogs being put to sleep has decreased year on year, except for a 1% rise between 2008 and 2009. This year an estimated 5% of stray dogs were put to sleep across the UK, the lowest recorded figure since the survey began.
The most common way for dog wardens to be employed was directly by the local authority, and the most used service for handling strays was private owned pounds.
Picking up on media coverage of ‘status dogs’, this year’s survey included questions about the number of ‘status dogs’ handled and how many of those, if any, had been put to sleep due to aggression. The media often refers to ‘status dogs’ as those whose looks or breed type are thought to convey a particular impression of their owner - such as Bull breeds, Rottweilers, Akitas or Crosses of these. These questions were not asked of authorities in Northern Ireland.
Across the 311 authorities that responded 17,834 ‘status dogs’ were reported as having been handled between 1st April 2009 and 31st March 2010. This accounts for 18% of all strays reported in the UK, although some authorities did not provide figures. Furthermore, a reported 1,137 of these ‘status dogs’ were put to sleep during this period due to aggression.
(information courtesy of Dogs Trust - information can be found here
http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/az/s/str...report2010.pdf )
This looks good right? Less stray dogs put to sleep than ever before?
What about the staffies?
68 Staffies a DAY killed in the UK because people still keeping breeding. 68 x 7 = 476 a WEEK. 476 x 52 = 24,572 DEAD STAFFIE AND STAFFIE CROSSES A YEAR. Something has got to change!!
What about the ones in rescue? How many of your dogs decendants could end up in in rescue?
A rescue who only deal with small breeds had 542 dogs through their door last year - Just a SMALL rescue who deals with only a few breeds of dogs.
DONT THINK THERE ARE GOOD REASONS TO NEUTER?
READ ON
It is a known fact that some bitches tempraments change when they have a litter so you're kind, loving labrador who is best friends with your toddler could change into a territorial dog who bites everytime the toddler goes near her and then where does she AND HER PUPS end up? - YES thats right - RESCUE
Quote:
HEALTH BENEFITS OF
SPAYING AND NEUTERING
Some pet owners are not aware of the advantages of spaying or neutering their pet. A spayed or neutered pet does not become fat or lazy. Their metabolism may slow down abit but all you have to do to keep that trim look is cut back a little on the food. In additionto the obvious advantage of preventing unwanted pregnancies, there are health andbehavioral benefits:
1) Spaying or neutering is foolproof birth control that lasts a lifetime.
2) Spaying or neutering provides relief from such hormone driven urges as:
Aggression toward other dogs, particularly for males.
Territorialism, that is, the tendency to be overprotective of the dog's home ground.
Wanderlust, that is, the desire to escape from the yard and seek sexual adventure inthe outside world.
Dominance.
Marking territory with urine/feces.
Unwanted sexual behavior such as riding, sniffing, licking, arousal.
Frustration which occurs when the behaviors dictated by hormonal urges cause thedog to behave in a way that is undesirable to the owners.
3) Protection (either partial or complete) from such hormone-induced conditions as:
MALES
Testicular cancer
Benighn prostatic hyperplasia
Acute and chronic prostatis, prostatic abscess
Perianal gland adenomas
Orchitis (infection of the testicles)
Venereal tumors
Perineal hernia (abdominal organs bulging out of rectum)
Inguinal hernia with potential organ strangulation
FEMALES
Breast cancer
Cystic endometrial hyperplasia and pyometra
False pregnancies
Mastitis (can occur during false pregnancy)
Transmissible venereal sarcoma
Ovarian and uterine tumors
Cystic ovaries and hyperestrogenism
Chronic endometritis
Vaginal hyperplasia and prolapse
Uterine torsion or uterine prolapse
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(information courtesy of
Health Benefits of Spaying and Neutering)
BUT HANG ON I'VE GOT A CAT I'M OK RIGHT?
WRONG
Cats protection say
Quote:
We can't quantify the number of strays in the whole of the UK but around a quarter of the cats that come into our care are strays.
And we rehomed and reunited 52,583 cats and kittens in 2010.
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So CPL cleaned up a lot of unwanted litters last year and they are only 1 of alot of rescues. A small rescue helped out 309 and another very small rescue helped 179 cats last year so imagine that there must be another 50 or so rescues out there of that size so that equates to another 53071 last year and there are still more rescues who's figures we haven't had/are unable to get.
Have you seen how many kittens there are this year? We're only halfway through the year and ALUK themselves have helped place over 500 kittens into rescue.
KITTENS!!!
What about the ones who were just left behind and became wild? mating all the time with no-one to look after them?
We heard from one rescue how they were called at 7.30 am from someone who said they had caught a mother and 2 kittens and if not picked up within an hour she'd be taking them to the vets. The rescue couldnt get there quick enough and they were PTS. :cry:
THERES GOOD REASONS TO NEUTER CATS TOO
Quote:
A critical part of caring for a pregnant cat is ensuring that neither she, nor any other female cats in residence, ever become pregnant again. Once you have verified your cat's pregnancy and made the decision either of spaying her and terminating the pregnancy or allowing the pregnancy to continue, the very next thing you should do is take positive steps to ensure this will be the last feline pregnancy in your household.
Neuter Your Male Cats
This is the most proactive step. Neutering is a simple surgery with a very quick recovery period. Besides preventing unwanted pregnancies, neutering a male will help mitigate certain problem behavior found in whole males, and it will help prevent certain medical conditions, too.
Neutered cats are less likely to spray strong urine
Neutered cats will lose the urge to fight
Neutered cats will be less likely to try to escape
Neutered cats will not suffer the abscesses from fighting
Neutered cats will be less likely to contract diseases such as FeLV and FIV
Neutered cats will not be subject to testicular cancer
Neutered cats will not likely develop "stud tail," caused by overactive glands in the tail
Neutered cats have a decreased risk of mammary cancer
Neutered cats are less allergenic
Basically, you have every reason to neuter your male cat. He will be a much more pleasant companion, and will ultimately be happier and healthier.
Spay Your Female Cats
Anyone who has lived through the misery of having a female cat in almost constant heat cycles will attest that it is not a pleasant experience. Their loud calling, often accompanied by spraying urine (to attract a mate) are evidence that they are, if not actually physically in pain, at least uncomfortable and unhappy.
Aside from the very real feline overpopulation problem, there are some valid health reasons for spaying female cats.
Decreased Risk of Mammary Cancer
Ideally, to give a female cat protection against mammary cancer, she should be spayed prior to her first heat. Each subsequent heat brings a greater chance of mammary cancer at a later time.
Eliminates Risk of Ovarian or Uterine Cancer
Spaying a cat involves the removal of the uterus and ovaries. No organs: no cancer; simple as that.
Eliminates Chances of Pyometritis
Pyometra is a virulent bacteria that attacks the uterus of cats, usually a week or so after estrus, and is a potentially fatal infection.
The old adage that "if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem" is particularly applicable to unwanted pregnancy in cats.
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(information courtesy of
Spay and Neuter Your Pet Cats)
SMALL FURRIES THEY'RE GOOD RIGHT?
WRONG AGAIN
There are currently around 30'000 rabbits in rescue with most rescues having a waiting list of another 100 and yet people STILL keep breeding them.
What do you think happens to the ones that dont get homes and aren't lucky enough to find a rescue? They get released to then get myxomatosis or they get used as dog bait (to persuade dogs that people want to turn into fighting dogs to start killing)
Or smaller animals like rats, mice, gerbils, hamsters - get fed to reptiles
A FINAL WORD ON FREEADS
We at Animal Lifeline UK are finding that more animals are being traded via freead sites or facebook. Want to know why we hate this idea?
Take a look at this:
This dog was used as bait to persuade bigger dogs to fight and this one?.........
LIVE FISH BAIT :cry:
Who can bet that both these dogs came from homes where the owner thought they were doing the right thing sending them to a home they'd never seen with people they didn't know without doing ANY checks?
If this doesn't affect you then maybe you should reconsider why you have a pet in the first place? If it does then that makes you a perfect person to come and help us help these poor animals.
Animal Lifeline UK: Helping Rescues with Homechecking, Fostering, Transport, Fundraising, Rehoming and more!
In the future we at Animal Lifeline UK will be campaigning to get all animals chipped and snipped (other than registered CORRECT breeding facilities)
We want them chipped so they never end up in pounds worried that their 7 days will be up and they will face the needle while thier owner is fruitlessly searching for them.
We want them snipped to stop the 1000's of unwanted animals in the UK that are crippling the rescues who are trying their hardest to help those who's owners genuinly can't care for them. They're too busy taking the babies who can't be rehomed at the moment.
Please cross post.
Many thanks for reading this.
Best wishes The Animal Lifeline UK Team
23-08-2011, 02:23 PM
my syd was in one of them pounds and moments away from being pts when he was rescued by many tears, makes me wonder how many weren`t that lucky though 
it`s sad nd sickening but true 
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