Ils font partie de la famille…

Soutenez profondément le regard de n’importe quel animal, et pendant un instant, changez de place, leurs vies deviennent précieuses comme la vôtre et la vôtre devient aussi vulnérable que les leurs. Maintenant souriez si vous croyez que tous les animaux méritent notre protection, parce que dans un sens, ils sont comme nous, et nous sommes eux. ” ~Philip Ochoa~

Je voulais écrire à propos des usines à chiots jusqu’à ce que je vois le post de mon ami Viktor aujourd’hui, sur son blog. Ce post était à propos de Bertha, un de nos chiens que nous avons fait adopter à qui, nous le pensions était la famille parfaite. Elle allait vivre une vie heureuse, enfin!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=39124&id=1314867706&ref=mf

Bertha est un rottweiler pure race qui a été trouvée dans les rues d’Istanbul. Elle était dans un état lamentable, fatiguée, émaciée, tellement détruite par la négligence et le manque de soins qu’elle s’est littéralement effondrée dans les bras de son sauveur. Elle a été soignée par un vétérinaire hors-pair et durant les mois qui suivirent, nous, les membres de Let’s Adopt! avons été témoins de sa transformation. Elle avait l’air d’une chienne complètement différente, elle avait pris du poids, elle avait l’air en santé, avec un grand sourire sur le visage, elle était prête à s’envoler vers son nouveau foyer.

Le 30 novembre dernier, Bertha a été adoptée par la ”famille parfaite”. Nous avons vu des photos de notre bébé courant dans les bois joyeusement, armée d’un précieux sourire. Ça nous a tous réchauffés le coeur. Malheureusement, ce conte de fée n’a duré que 10 jours. Quand Viktor est allé visiter les adoptants pour voir comment se portait Bertha, il a trouvé Bertha dans une cage, voulant sortir à tout prix, et elle avait perdu 2 kilos. Les membres de Let’s Adopt! avaient travaillé tellement fort pout lui faire prendre du poids et la ramener à la santé, mais elle avait réussi à perdre 2 kilos depuis un peu plus d’une semaine. Viktor a repris Bertha de cette famille et espère lui trouver un meilleur endroit pour vivre.

http://blog.myletsadopt.com/2009/12/10/lara-sayinsoya-mektup-letter-to-lara-sayinsoy/

Alors j’ai pensé… pourquoi est-ce que les gens enchaînent leurs chiens? Pourquoi est-ce que les gens laissent leurs chiens pendant des heures dans une cage pendant qu’ils vont au travail? Qu’elle est votre définition de la cruauté envers les animaux?

Selon la Humane Society of the United States, il y a plusieurs raisons pourquoi les gens laissent leurs chiens enchaînés dehors. Plusieurs personnes croient que les chiens devraient vivre dehors et ils gardent le chien attaché parce qu’il essaie de sauter par dessus la clôture ou qu’il creuse des trous dans le jardin. Ou alors, le chien est dehors pour protéger la maison.

Les chiens sont des animaux sociaux. Ils choisissent de vivre en meutes et passent rarement le temps seuls. Lorsque des chiens sont enchaînés c’est généralement parce qu’ils sont séparés de leur ”meute” (votre famille). Un chien attaché tout seul à un seul endroit pour des heures, des jours, des mois, même des années souffrira de graves traumatismes psychologiques. Un chien qui devrait être social et aimable pourrait développer des tendances neurotiques et devenir malheureux, anxieux et souvent agressifs. Ils peuvent se blesser eux-même. Ils peuvent s’étrangler par accident dans leur propre corde. La vérité, aussi triste qu’elle puisse l’être, est aussi que les chiens qui ont étés enchaînés pendant une grande partie de leur vie sont plus souvent tués dans les refuges. Certains animaux peuvent perdre complètement leurs liens avec la famille et finir par s’enfuir de la propriété, pour être ensuite attrapés et euthanasiés à cause de leur comportement imprévisible et leur tendances agressives.

Garder un chien enchaîné est une forme de cruauté passive. En laissant un chien attaché vous le laissez vulnérable à la chaleur ou au froid ou alors à des attaques d’autres animaux ou d’humains. Je me demande pourquoi est-ce que les gens choisissent d’avoir un animal pour ensuite le laisser seul et isolé au bout d’une chaîne. J’entend trop souvent des gens parler de ”chiens de garde” qui resteront à l’extérieur. Contrairement à la croyance populaire, ces ”chiens de garde” ne font pas une très bonne garde. Attachés à l’extérieur, ils gardent bien la cour mais la plupart des objets de valeur prisés par les cambrioleurs sont à l’intérieur.

''Prison à vie sans possibilité de libération''

Gardez votre famille en sécurité : mettez une chaîne à votre porte, pas à votre chien!

Si vous remarquez qu’un chien est souvent enchaîné à l’extérieur et vous doutez de sa qualité de vie ou s’il souffre, n’hésitez pas à contacter des organismes comme Humane Society International ou votre SPCA locale. Il se peut qu’ils retirent l’animal de cette famille et le fassent adopter à un meilleur endroit pour lui.

S’il-vous-plaît, passez du temps de qualité avec votre animal. Prenez une longue marche avec votre chien et jouer avec lui. Soyez de meilleurs amis. Récompensez-lui pour toute sa loyauté et la joie qu’il vous procure.

Pia

(Traduit par Cath)

Make Them Part of Your Family

Look deep into the eyes of any animal, and then for a moment, trade places, their life becomes as precious as yours and you become as vulnerable as them. Now smile if you believe all animals deserve our respect and our protection, for in a way, they are us, and we are them.” ~Philip Ochoa~

I was going to write about puppy mills until I saw my friend Viktor`s post today. It was about Bertha, one of our adopted dogs which we thought she was going to live happily ever after in her fury home!!! Bertha is a pure breed Rottweiler which was found in the streets of Istanbul. She was so tired, so emaciated, so destroyed by lack of care that she collapsed in the arms of her rescuer. Then she was taken care of by one of Istanbul best vets and in months as members of the Let`s Adopt Family we all watched her amazing transformation. She looked like a completely different dog, she gained weight, looking healthy, with a big smile on her face, ready to fly to her new loving home…

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=39124&id=1314867706&ref=mf

On the 30^th of November Bertha was adopted by a “perfect” family. We saw the pictures of our baby girl running in the woods with that precious smile on her face. We were all so happy for her. Unfortunately our little fairy tale lasted only ten days. When Viktor went to the adoptant`s home to see how she`s been doing, she found Bertha in the crate. She was going crazy, wanted to get out. She has lost 2 kilos in ten days. They fought so hard to make her gain weight and recover her health but she has lost two kilos whilst on her guardian`s watch. He took Bertha from the adoptant and now we are looking for another “perfect” family to take care of our baby girl.

http://blog.myletsadopt.com/2009/12/10/lara-sayinsoya-mektup-letter-to-lara-sayinsoy/

Then I started thinking…Why do people chain their dogs? Why do people leave their dogs in a crate for hours when they go for work? What`s your definition of animal cruelty?

According to the Humane Society of United States there are variety of reasons why people chain their dogs outside. Many people believe that dogs should live outside, and they keep the dog tied up because he or she escapes the yard or digs in the garden. Or maybe the dog has grown too large to be inside, or has developed a behavior problem that the owner is unable to deal with, so the dog stays in the yard. Or perhaps the dog is kept outside to protect the home.

Dogs are social animals. They choose to live in “packs” and rarely spend time alone. When dogs are chained, tethered, or tied-out they are essentially isolated from their “pack” (your family). A dog kept chained alone in one spot for hours, days, months, or even years suffers immense psychological damage. An otherwise friendly and docile dog, when kept continuously chained, becomes neurotic, unhappy, anxious, and often aggressive. Chained dogs are likely to hurt themselves. Dogs can get caught up in their chains and injure themselves and possibly even hang or strangle themselves. And sad but true chained dogs are euthanized more frequently. Chained dogs can free themselves from bondage and get loose and when they do they are often caught and put to sleep due to erratic behavior and aggressive tendencies.

Chaining a dog is passive animal cruelty. By leaving a dog tied to a tree you are leaving him vulnerable to heat, cold and attacks from other humans or animals. I wonder why a person chooses to have a dog when the dog lives his life isolated on the end of a chain. I often hear that people want a “watchdog” so they can chain their dog outside. Contrary to popular belief a chained dog does not make a good guard dog. They may be territorial over the yard; however, most of the items thieves target are indoors where your dog can not reach the burglar.

If you see a dog that is constantly left chained up outside and you think his quality of life is suffering, don’t be afraid to call the Humane Society. They will send someone out to educate the owners or take the dog away and give it a better home where it will (deservedly) be loved as a family member. And please make your dogs part of your family. Spend quality time with them, play with them, take them for nice long walks. Be a BEST FRIEND…

Love,

Pia

http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/chaining_tethering/tips/do_you_chain_your_dog.html

http://www.unchainyourdog.org/FactsPhotos.htm

It Is Cold Out There!!!

Photo by Kirsten Bole

I saw her sitting at the corner holding a cardboard sign that read “Hungry and broke. Please help.” Her dog sits patiently and loyally by her side. You could see the strongest bond that could be found between the two souls who have nothing but love to give and share. Two outcasts living together in a complete harmony. I approached her and handed her some change. She nodded, pointed out my water bottle and asked: Could you please fill out my dog`s water bowl? Without hesitation I filled the water bowl and asked her if she needed anything else. She said she was hungry. After getting her to something to eat, I tried talking to her (she was not very much of a talker). Just because I live on the streets it does not mean that I do not take care of my dog properly, or I do not love her she said. We share everything, and unlike people like you I don`t leave my dog eight hours alone at home or at the backyard, she is with me all day, all night. If it`s cold I’ll put my coat over her before I put it over me. She`s my baby, she continued. I asked her where she was going to spend the night, in return she said I was asking too many questions “Have a good day”. I petted the gentle shepherd mix, I left, thinking what I could have done more. After that day I never saw her on that corner again, but the images would not leave my heart for days. Probably, you see homeless people like her on the streets every day.

It can be difficult for those of us who have always had a bed to sleep in and a roof over our head to understand how someone can become homeless. When we think about the homeless, we tend to picture someone scruffy panhandling on the street. It is important to remember that each homeless person is someone’s son or daughter, brother or sister, husband or wife, or father or mother. And how do you feel when you see a pup curled up next to someone who appears to be homeless? I worry about them both. I worry that the dog, just like the person, may not be getting enough food, water or medical attention.

In Canada, over 12,000 people are homeless on any given night. It is estimated by the National Coalition for the Homeless that 3.5 million people are homeless in the United States. Between 5% to 10% of homeless people have dogs and/or cats. In some areas of the country the rate is as high as 24%. For those with pets, finding pet food, shelter and other assistance is more difficult. According to Genevieve Frederick, founder of the nonprofit organization Feeding Pets of the Homeless, “the dogs provide the homeless with a connection with reality, they are loyal and provide the homeless with unconditional love and warmth as well as protection. The human pet bond is very real.” In a world of uncertainty and despair, a pet may be the only source of comfort for someone who faces night after night without real shelter or adequate food and clothing. Many of the homeless (up to 24%) are trying to take care of the discarded animals on the streets. For some, it is the only family they have. Very few shelters allow pets. Steve Goody, director of companion animal welfare at The Blue Cross, said: For many homeless people a pet is their only companion. Asking them to give up their dog to stay the night in a hostel or a shelter is like asking them to abandon their partner or best friend. “If they have to tie their dog up outside a hostel overnight most homeless people will not go in. Unfortunately, the vast majority of homeless shelters do not allow pets, forcing many homeless to choose between shelter and providing for their animals.

Photo by Tim Hulsizer

Feeding the Pets of the Homeless collects food through volunteer collection sites and delivers it to food pantries and soup kitchens that agree to distribute it to those in need. At these locations a person in need can receive a hot meal and a small bag of pet food for their pet. They have information on their site about getting involved with this program as a volunteer or veterinarian. Their Mission Statement is:

• Promoting to veterinarians and pet related businesses the importance of joining the program
• Speaking out on the issue of pets of homeless and the disadvantaged
• Campaigning to food distributing organizations the importance of distributing pet food to the less fortunate
• Providing grants to licensed veterinarians and other nonprofit organizations that meet our objectives to administer medical care to pets of the homeless.(For guidelines and application, please email info@petsofhomeless.org)

You could become a volunteer collection location and really make a contribution to this worthwhile cause.

Find a list of pet food collection sites in your community. http://www.petsofhomeless.com/members.htm#CAN If there isn’t a collection site near you, contact Feeding Pets of the Homeless to learn how to start one.

Never be afraid to do what’s right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society’s punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.~

Love,

Pia