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Are Some Pets Better Off Euthanized?
With today's tough economic
times, many animal rescue groups are being scrutinized by the
public-at-large, especially when it comes to how they spend their money.
Groups already have it tough, trying to do more with less, and trying to make
the right choices when it comes to deciding "which" pets to rescue.
Often, the toughest decision to
make is balancing compassion for a single animal with doing the greater good.
No easy task... and there are bound to be many who will challenge any
decision that a rescue makes, regardless of the outcome.
One of the biggest concerns
supporters often have... sometimes spoken, sometimes not... is whether or not
rescuing an animal that will have very high medical costs, is worth it. After
all, if it is going to take $1200-$2000 worth of vet bills/surgeries to save
this animal, couldn't that money be better spent saving SEVERAL healthy
animals?
Does it make economic sense to
dump so much $$$ into a single pet? How
many other healthy animals will be put to sleep, because that money was not
used to pull and transport more animals from high kill shelters? The
"every life is precious and worth saving" philosophy is great one,
in a utopian world with unlimited rescue funds. But in today's economy,
people are wondering if this results in fewer (not more) animals being saved? So...
are some pets better of Euthanized? I
say NO! The missing
component in this argument is human nature. It's
sad, but true. People are lulled to sleep by the boring and routine, but seem
to rally around those events and circumstances that are unusual and
extraordinary. With every
hard luck case... i.e. a pet with severe injuries or medical condition... new
supporters join "the cause". The more dramatic the case, heart
wrenching the photos, or urgent the need... the more exposure that animal's
plight gets. This results
in more people becoming animal rescue supporters. Is
that the only reason to rescue these extremely sick or injured pets? Of
course not. But it IS a by product of these rescue efforts, and serves as a
counter argument for those skeptics who think the money would be better spent
elsewhere. In a world
with unlimited funds and supporters, this wouldn't be an issue. However...
animal rescue groups need more supporters, more awareness spread, more
resources, and more acceptance by the general public.
It is hard to measure
just how much of an effect these hard luck cases have on building the pool of
animal rescue supporters. But with more supporters, comes more volunteers,
more fosters, more transports, more donations, and more adoptions... all of
which, ultimately result in many more pets being rescued.
Animal rescue will never be
easy... and balancing resources with rescue decisions is always tough.
However, knowing that regardless of the decision, no money is ever
"wasted" and ALL rescues can result in raising awareness... makes
it a bit easier.
In the end... it's all about
the animals.
If you are directly or indirectly
helping with animal rescue... THANK YOU!
If not... it's a great time to
get involved... and your help is very much needed. To find a group in your
area, check out our Animal
Rescue Facebook Directory.
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