Our Dog, Red.
I see MANY homeless folks on the streets with their signs and if they don't look like druggies or alcoholics (I'm not funding any one's addictions) than I give them a buck or two if I can spare it. But when I see someone with a dog, it breaks my heart. So I have started a one-woman campaign to make sure that at least a few of those dogs don't go to bed hungry.
I bought a big bag of dog food and split it up into 1 gallon Ziploc bags. I added a milkbone or two for a treat and I keep them in the front seat of my car. When I see a homeless person with a dog, they get a couple of dollars and a bag of dog food. It won't end hunger for homeless dogs of the world, but it helps a little and I get endless doggy smiles and tail wags from it.
One more thing before I go. What started this whole "Feed the homeless dogs" thing was a scene a few weeks ago. I was coming home and was stopped at an intersection. On the corner was a man with his dog. The car in front of me honked and beckoned them over. They gave the man two hamburgers from the McDonalds down the street. So what does he do? He takes the meat patties out and gives them to his dog and he eats the buns. There's a special place in heaven for that dog owner.
I volunteer when I can at the local shelter (which, I'm told, is the primo supreme of shelters -- the have kitty condos and a HUGE volunteer force that walks the dogs constantly and I'm a Kitty Cuddler). My problem is I want to bring them all home!
ReplyDeletethat's exactly how change begins..one act of mindful kindness at a time..brava
ReplyDeleteLori - That's the reason why I DON'T volunteer at the shelter. I can't leave them there. But I do gather donations of blankets and rugs and food and toys and drop them off at the shelters. Our bigggest shelter here has a Cattery which is a HUGE room filled with cat trees and things to climb and sleep on and windows all the way around.
ReplyDeleteThats a nice story. We often see homeless people here in Glastonbury and many have dogs. While I'm doing my errands I pop into our petshop and buy a few treats for their dog, or keep some in the pocket of my shopping trolly.
ReplyDeleteWe volunteered for a dog shelter for 5 years, how we stopped at adopting 2 dogs, I will never know. I was very close to taking a 3rd home at one time!
My attitude to homeless people owning dogs, is that the dogs have company all day and not shut indoors, alone, like a lot of dogs when their owners are at work all day.
Two of my three kittehs were adopted from a local shelter. One is the only survivor of an abandoned litter. All three are spayed and very very much loved. I must have kitty momma stamped on my forehead. I was buying cat food at a chain petstore that sponsors adoptathons for local shelters. It was late at night and the shelter people were closing up shop. The young daughter of one of the shelter people walked up to me in the checkout line and handed me a kitten. Had to get out of line and go get some kitten food. Yep. You guessed it.
ReplyDeleteWe are the proud owners of two pound puppies and I can't imagine life without them! I, too, have no patience for people who don't spay and neuter - I also have no patience for people who keep the doors of puppy mills open by thinking they HAVE to have a designer dog of some sort! Mutts are better tempered and healthier over-all than designer and full breed animals.
ReplyDeleteMy pets are part of my family. I completely understood the people in New Orleans after Katrina hit who refused rescue if their pets couldn't come too. These homeless with so few comforts left can at least have a companion: one who never complains and provides warmth and protection.
Geez... I could go on forever about this! This is a really, truly good thing you are doing... Bravo!