The Plight of Strays

After my dog, Oreo passed away, I really reflected on how much I was actually helping stray animals by trying to spay/neuter them or adopting them. Last night, while having Chap Goh Meh dinner with a group of friends, a fellow pet owner said that her vet discouraged her from spaying her female Shihtzu. Why? because according to him, after spaying, an animal may undergo character change or get fat. He said he could easily earn her money but he refused to. Alas, if only I had talked to her earlier.

This made me wonder whether the things we are encouraged to do for animals, (though with good intentions) are really beneficial  for them. For stray animals I can understand the need for spaying to control stray population. But for single pet homes, is there such a need? I was told that to be a responsible pet owner, it was necessary to spay to prevent my pet from contracting sicknesses such as reproductive organ cancers. By the same token, should humans remove their reproductive organs when they decide not to bear children anymore?

Oreo became an extremely fearful dog after being spayed. She tried to jump over the fence when the  sky became cloudy. She could no longer be left alone, yet we were working people. Our vet could not explain why she suddenly developed this fear after the spaying. She had never had even a little fear of fireworks, rain or thunder before. Of course, at this stage, everything is pure speculation but it is food for thought. It is always good to make informed choices. 

Less than a week after Oreo's death, an animal rescuer friend  offered me an abandoned poodle, for adoption. Sadly, many people are keen to own cute dogs and animals but abandon them after the novelty wears off or when they have grown old. Pets poo and pee all over the place and require work and commitment. Countless animals are abandoned daily either at shelters or on the streets.

Many people mistakenly assume that if they send their unwanted pets to shelters, their pets would have a new home. The truth is that shelters such as PAWS and SPCA euthanise many healthy animals each year due to shortage of space and funding, and a low adoption rate. Have you considered that sending your unwanted pets to these shelters could be like sending them to death row? So, check the shelter's euthanising policies first before sending your pet there.

A Taiwanese photographer took pictures of  these dogs at local shelters before they were euthanised. Beautiful, healthy animals killed using lethal injections. Take a look at https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=428257537256992. Does it not prick your conscience? It breaks my heart.. But then, who really cares? After all, they are just animals at our disposal to do as we please, right? I pray not.