In December , 2007 it was necessary to put my dog down. He was a beautiful Akita named Thor, and had been my best friend for 14 years. It was extremely difficult, but he was blind, partially deaf and could no longer walk. The vet indicated there was nothing more that could be done for him.

In February, 2008 I began to explore the local dog pounds and shelters. In the course of the exploration I had the opportunity to talk to the operators of the shelters. They indicated that in the past 18 months they had experienced a huge influx of cats and dogs because their owners could no longer afford to keep them. The owners in many cases had lost their homes in foreclosures. These animals do not understand why their owners no longer want them, or why they are living in shelters with strangers.

I was lucky enough to find a Shepard/Grey Hound mix named Charlie in one of the shelters. He had been neglected by his previous owners. They indicated that when he was brought into the shelter he was emaciated, and they had to be careful not to over feed him at any single meal since his stomach had shrunken. He also had worms, and suffers from separation anxiety. Although he had been fattened up to some degree, I was still able to see his ribs and backbone at the time I adopted him. That is no longer the case.

Many of these animal have deformities that make them unwanted by their owners. My son and his wife recently adopted two kittens from the same shelter. The kittens had bones missing in their forearms , and as a result they walk on their elbows.

If you are in a position to provide a home for an animal interned in a shelter, please consider it. No animal will ever replace the one that has passed away, but each offers something unique to its owner as an alternative. These animals are in need or rescue. Those living in shelters which euthanize them after several months are in greatest need.