I quote this from an email from a friend of mine and fellow shelter worker who volunteers at the NYC pound:

"I have worked my butt off all week rescuing animals. We have managed to save a couple of dogs and cats through nothing else but fate. The result in saved lives is a high like nothing else, a great feeling. But then comes the crash; the news that FORTY kittens were put down yesterday. And many dogs are getting killed before we can even showcase them. So I ask you...how do I go on? How do I avoid this sudden wall of depression that has come before me? This is why so many choose to stay ignorant. I understand that. After all, ignorance IS bliss. But it is also THE ONLY reason all these animals are dying. If EVERYBODY would choose to help, instead of harm, the bliss would be in avoiding the ignorance. "

We are a culture that cares far more about appearances and perception than reality or substance.

There are those in rescue and animal sheltering who say, "We just have to feel good about the ones we can save!" But I wonder if that is a kind of psychological defense mechansim that is designed to protect, passify, or even inflate our egos. How can we feel good about the ones we save when the majority die? Perhaps the answer is to feel grateful and humble fo the ones we do rescue, but to NEVER turn our eyes away from those falling through the cracks.

Here is the reality:
1. 78% of animals at NYC pounds are euthanized, the ones that are not are mostly small dogs.
2. More than 50,000 pets are surrendered each year in NYC
3. These animals coming in our NOT housed in state of the art facilities, rather they are caged in heavily crowded shelters where infections run rampent, staff members are NOT pleasant (volunteer members are), the majority of dogs do not get walked once a day, instead they hold their urine in until their bladders rupture, 50% of the animals brought in usually die before being euthanized.
4. The majority of animals brought in are surrendered due to allergies, owner relocation, new baby being born, or simply they just dont want them anymore.

-Facts are quoted from the ASPCA president and CEO (which does not really have any true grasp of what the situation is at the pound, the ASPCA has state of the art shelters and a multimillion dollar budget and they take in a SMALL fraction of NYC pets due to their ability to deny incoming animals. The pound can not do that.)

Animal shelters and rescue groups should exist to help the truly stray and homeless animals or those pets whos owners have been victim to some sort of disaster or dire life circumstance. Sadly, our shelters now are just dumping grounds.

People ask me why I volunteer at the pound when the majority of the time I leave in tears, or why I give money to animals when I am still struggling to feed myself. People question why I refuse to participate in the commercial meat industry or why I have two cats that I would NEVER part with, no matter what happened in my life. People think Im crazy when I say I foster kittens that come home to me from the pound abused, starving, neglected, skinny, smelly, and sick. This is why.

I refuse to be ignorant. I know what goes on in the slaughterhouses, on fishing boats, in the city shelters, in petstores, etc...

I do not turn a blind eye because it is sad or it hurts. If everybody did that, the future would he hopeless. But I will be the minority who stares the pain in the face and asks what I can do to help.

Most people say, "well i know what happens but I dont want to read about it because its so sad" - ignorance

Or they say, "the human body NEEDS meat in order to survive" - ignorance

Or, "if there was no hunters, animals would starve and die due to overpopulation" - ignorance

I could go on and on...

I refuse to be ignorant and even if I only contribute a small and "meaningless" amount..I contribute to change. Changing always starts with one person.

I wont post pictures of the animals I see in shelters..because truly most people will read this post and still not want to see them. Nor will I post the pictures of all the other things I could post, you know I could, but I wont.