Let’s show a little kindness to pets

Arecent article highlighted the heartbreaking numbers of pets that are put down every year and the toll it takes on the vets who have to euthanise perfectly healthy animals because their owners can no longer afford to feed them or are moving house and cannot keep them, among other reasons. Some heartless people just dump these defenceless animals on the side of the road to fend for themselves.

Then there is the struggle the animal organisations that care for these stray, abandoned or “surrendered” pets face with funding, with donations drying up in these tough economic times and municipalities often tardy in paying them their dues.

An increase in the number of animals being surrendered to these organisations and insufficient money to feed them increases the likelihood of them being put down.

One shelter put down more than 2,500 dogs and cats between April 2021 and March 2022.

“Euthanising healthy animals is not a pleasant job,” one vet said.

But National Council of the Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) spokesperson Keshvi Nair says there are fates worse than death.

“Requesting that the animal be put to sleep is far kinder and more humane than many other ‘alternatives’ such as dumping the animal in the streets, stoning it to death or giving it to a home where it cannot be guaranteed that it will be properly looked after.”

Whatever your view, it is a tragedy that so many pets are put to death every year and that is at just one shelter in SA.

While the “cute” puppies have a greater chance of finding a new home, the real sadness is the older dogs which have little to no hope of adoption.

“Senior dogs and cats in shelters aren’t usually chosen first, but that doesn’t mean they don’t make great companions,” says Durban creative agency The Hardy Boys, which came up with a pro bono campaign in partnership with the Animal Anti-Cruelty League to encourage the adoption of senior dogs and cats at shelters and save them from being put down.

A noble move which we applaud.

So, if you find yourself looking for a family pet, perhaps consider saving one of the older dogs from almost certain death.

These former much-loved house pets have been through the “terrible twos”, are already house-trained and want nothing more than love.

And, if you are lucky enough to adopt one of these special souls, you will find that they are incredibly loyal.