DECISIONS OF THE HEART

I have always said I would like to volunteer at the local humane society when I retire. Now as retirement draws nearer I'm having second thoughts.Not because I don't think it's worth my time, but because I have fears of becoming one of those hoarders of small fur babies you hear about on television and being divorced within a year!

Seriously though, I recently I visited my local humane society because I love to buy the t-shirts, flags and various items in their gift shop. I know I'm supporting a good cause. I also give money to the AKC through my Visa purchases. It's always hard for me not to look in on the little ones up for adoption because it's so heartbreaking. On a recent visit my heart strings were tugged by a little guy(no name) who had been at the shelter since April 30. The poor babe(age unknown) could have only been 6 months old and had already been there 3 months without a mommy or daddy. He was very tiny, no more that3 or 4 pounds and just the fuzziest little dog with such a big cough.Who on earth could have given this little guy up?

I did want to take him out and love him but felt it would be cruel to give him false hopes that someone had come to take him out of this place. His cough was bad and continuous which made me think that was the reason he had not yet been adopted. All they see is a sick puppy and medical bills to pay in this struggling economy. It's a perpetual problem for our abandoned fur babies. They wind up in the humane society,develop kennel cough because of their confinement with all the others, and aren't able to shake it because their tiny immune systems aren't developed enough to ward off these illnesses and so on and so on -- how sad. My only comfort when I decided to leave empty handed was the fact that a family was inquiring about the little guy just before I left.

The woman had several children with her and while I was making my way to the door the lady pointed to him and said, "That's the one we want."I can only hope he went home with them that day. If only I could have two, three, four little ones I surely would but my husband says "no."
His reasoning is he would be the primary caregiver during the day(he's retired) and he feels the expense would be too great. This little fellow has been on my mind for days but I have to stay away because I would surely bring him home if I held him just once. This happened before when I brought our little Shih Tzu, Harry,into our lives. He is a rescue that stole my heart one day when I went to the humane society just to "look." I wound up bringing him home with me that same day. He was one of the lucky ones though --he only had to endure three weeks without a forever home. I'll never regret that visit. Harry is now and will always be a big part of our family. He's especially fond of my husband. We have to share him with my mother-in-law though since he was actually going to be her new companion after the passing of her husband. But after being with us for a week (while my husband helped his mother prepare for her new addition) my husband decided we should keep Harry and let grandma have visitation rights. That worked out to everyone's satisfaction. Harry has sleepovers at grandma's house a couple nights a week but is always happy to come home to mom and dad.

And so the saga goes. I'm sure I'll go back soon to see if the little guy found his forever home. If not, you may hear from me again in the future to let you know all about him and how my volunteer work at the local humane society is going.

-- Janet Allen