If you have a pet, you’ve made the promise. Think of it as an unwritten contract, a promise to take care of that pet in exchange for its unconditional love and companionship. That’s a serious promise. The animal hasn’t a clue, of course, but that promise is implied whenever a human takes in an animal companion. All too often, that promise gets broken. There are millions of abandoned pets, betrayed by their owners all over the United States and around the world. We have a duty to those betrayed animals. We made a promise and we have to honor it. When you rescue an animal from a shelter, you make the promise to take care of that animal.
The Michigan Humane Society operates dozens of shelters around the state of Michigan. They feed and care for millions of abandoned pets each year. They try to keep the promise of the original owner of the animal, but it takes money. Sometimes all that can be done is to euthanize the animal. Some people find that unacceptable, but very often space is at a premium. The Society does its best to ensure that each animal finds a home, but sometimes that isn’t possible and the animal can either be stored in a cage or euthanized. The Humane Society provides health care for these animals and life in a cage can produce problems for an active animal.
The shelters are only part of what the Michigan Humane Society does. They also investigate accusations of animal abuse. They will confiscate animals found living in appalling conditions and abuse. The Michigan Humane Society’s investigations aren’t cheap either. These people are dedicated to keeping the promise made by deadbeat humans who abandon or abuse the trusting animals in their “care”.
You can help keep the promise by volunteering at your local shelter. They always need someone to help care for the animals. You could help feed the animals. You could even learn how to help veterinarians care for injured animals. You could volunteer to clean cages, walk dogs, and play with cats. You could become a foster parent and allow an animal extra time while they wait for adoption and a new promise. You could assist in adoptions or work in the office. Your local shelter always needs help.
If you can’t do any of that, you can donate money to animal organizations that care for abused and abandoned animals. For each dollar that you donate to the Michigan Humane Society, eighty-three cents goes to programs and services, which include veterinary care, shelter expenses, and educational programs. Thirteen cents goes to administrative costs and four cents seed the fund raising efforts. You can help keep the promise by donating to the Michigan Humane Society through the link, below.
My point is that there is something that you can do. Keep the promise. Do something.
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