PET RESCUE FESTIVAL ON OCT 29 2016
- Sunday, September 18 2016 @ 03:22 pm UTC
- Contributed by: erik
- Views: 2,054
http://www.PetRescueFestival.org
WE WILL BE AT THE PET RESCUE FESTIVAL IN PORT CHARLOTTE AT THE FAIRGROUNDS FROM 10-4PM OCT 29TH, 2016 http://www.PetRescueFestival.org
Southwest Florida GSD Rescue will be at the Charlotte County Fairgrounds on Oct 29th 2016 with our volunteers and some rescue dogs. The Pet Rescue Festival event is quite large and will be free to all. The event will feature demonstrations, a concert, and lots of rescue dogs to see from over 10 rescues in the area. We will possibly have a few rescue dogs at the booth but that is dependent on who is available at that time and who would be OK in that sort of a chaotic setting. The event is from 10AM to 4 PM wit a concert at 3pm. For any more information please visit the web site or call us for more details.
Here is a copy of the talk i will be giving at 10:10 on Saturday 10/29/16
ADOPTING AN ANIMAL IS FOR LIFE
BY
ERIK HOFFER, PRESIDENT SW FL GSD RESCUE
What pets are not:
Temporary or Throw Away possessions
Novelties
Expendable
Inanimate Feeling-less Objects
What they are is:
LOVING FAMILY MEMBERS WHO COUNT ON YOU
LIVING BEINGS WITH FEELINGS AND NEEDS
DOMESTICATED AND THEREFORE UNABLE TO PROVIDE LIFE’S NECESSITIES FOR THEMSELVES
DEPENDENT ON YOU FOR DIRECTION, FOOD, LOVE, TRAINING PROTECTION AND SHELTER
Approximately 4-6 million domesticated dogs and cats of every breed are euthanized annually. Miami Dade, for example, puts down 5000 dogs and cats per month, mostly discarded family pets. Some of these dogs are older, sickly and basically unadoptable, but yet they are discarded like trash daily. Many are pure breed dogs who had been loyal family pets until they are discarded. Some of this throw away mentality is in fact cultural, because many people regard dogs and cats as everything from possessions to food, and do not understand what the big deal is to discard their life long pet for reasons of convenience.
No one can guaranty life for themselves or for anything, as life remains out of our control. Intent and morality, compassion and education however can help us focus on the reasons to own a pet in the first place.
Just because your child wants a dog or cat does not, by any means make getting one for them, or acting on their wishes, makes the decision correct. Purchasing a pet requires planning, research into the pet and the breed before any reasonable decision can be made.
Considerations such as your home, whether you rent or own, your age and financial ability to care for the pet for its lifetime, your ability to physically care for, handle and train the pet, your work status, your understanding of the breed and the inherent responsibilities surrounding pet ownership. You should have a succession plan should you no longer be around or able to care for your pet, to make sure your aging pet is not discarded should you or your family not be there for the animal.
Unlike an inanimate object, pets have definite feelings aside from feeling physical pain. Emotional stress on an animal can have drastic consequences. Abandonment is the most traumatic of these emotions.
By having a pet join your family you have committed not only to the dog or cat, but you have established a benchmark of morality and commitment to your children, your family and friends. By discarding a pet for no particular reason but convenience, you mark yourself as a person without moral commitment. There are many legitimate and compelling reasons to re-home pets. Life deals us many issues that make pet ownership more than challenging, but at times almost impossible. No one can deny these causes as valid, but no commitment should be made in getting a pet where problems loom obvious and probable, and a back-up plan is non-existent. No parent should get a pet for a child, student, or person who cannot make a life commitment to that animal, otherwise the pet becomes the parent’s life long responsibility. Such decisions should be done by the parent because they want the pet, and not because of the demands of the child.
Pet ownership is rarely regulated. People can acquire pets and dispose of them as they see fit, however it is unthinkable for people to consider these animals as expendable.
WE WILL BE AT THE PET RESCUE FESTIVAL IN PORT CHARLOTTE AT THE FAIRGROUNDS FROM 10-4PM OCT 29TH, 2016 http://www.PetRescueFestival.org
Southwest Florida GSD Rescue will be at the Charlotte County Fairgrounds on Oct 29th 2016 with our volunteers and some rescue dogs. The Pet Rescue Festival event is quite large and will be free to all. The event will feature demonstrations, a concert, and lots of rescue dogs to see from over 10 rescues in the area. We will possibly have a few rescue dogs at the booth but that is dependent on who is available at that time and who would be OK in that sort of a chaotic setting. The event is from 10AM to 4 PM wit a concert at 3pm. For any more information please visit the web site or call us for more details.
Here is a copy of the talk i will be giving at 10:10 on Saturday 10/29/16
ADOPTING AN ANIMAL IS FOR LIFE
BY
ERIK HOFFER, PRESIDENT SW FL GSD RESCUE
What pets are not:
Temporary or Throw Away possessions
Novelties
Expendable
Inanimate Feeling-less Objects
What they are is:
LOVING FAMILY MEMBERS WHO COUNT ON YOU
LIVING BEINGS WITH FEELINGS AND NEEDS
DOMESTICATED AND THEREFORE UNABLE TO PROVIDE LIFE’S NECESSITIES FOR THEMSELVES
DEPENDENT ON YOU FOR DIRECTION, FOOD, LOVE, TRAINING PROTECTION AND SHELTER
Approximately 4-6 million domesticated dogs and cats of every breed are euthanized annually. Miami Dade, for example, puts down 5000 dogs and cats per month, mostly discarded family pets. Some of these dogs are older, sickly and basically unadoptable, but yet they are discarded like trash daily. Many are pure breed dogs who had been loyal family pets until they are discarded. Some of this throw away mentality is in fact cultural, because many people regard dogs and cats as everything from possessions to food, and do not understand what the big deal is to discard their life long pet for reasons of convenience.
No one can guaranty life for themselves or for anything, as life remains out of our control. Intent and morality, compassion and education however can help us focus on the reasons to own a pet in the first place.
Just because your child wants a dog or cat does not, by any means make getting one for them, or acting on their wishes, makes the decision correct. Purchasing a pet requires planning, research into the pet and the breed before any reasonable decision can be made.
Considerations such as your home, whether you rent or own, your age and financial ability to care for the pet for its lifetime, your ability to physically care for, handle and train the pet, your work status, your understanding of the breed and the inherent responsibilities surrounding pet ownership. You should have a succession plan should you no longer be around or able to care for your pet, to make sure your aging pet is not discarded should you or your family not be there for the animal.
Unlike an inanimate object, pets have definite feelings aside from feeling physical pain. Emotional stress on an animal can have drastic consequences. Abandonment is the most traumatic of these emotions.
By having a pet join your family you have committed not only to the dog or cat, but you have established a benchmark of morality and commitment to your children, your family and friends. By discarding a pet for no particular reason but convenience, you mark yourself as a person without moral commitment. There are many legitimate and compelling reasons to re-home pets. Life deals us many issues that make pet ownership more than challenging, but at times almost impossible. No one can deny these causes as valid, but no commitment should be made in getting a pet where problems loom obvious and probable, and a back-up plan is non-existent. No parent should get a pet for a child, student, or person who cannot make a life commitment to that animal, otherwise the pet becomes the parent’s life long responsibility. Such decisions should be done by the parent because they want the pet, and not because of the demands of the child.
Pet ownership is rarely regulated. People can acquire pets and dispose of them as they see fit, however it is unthinkable for people to consider these animals as expendable.