On Monday, September 8, 2014 3:01:22 PM UTC-4, jmcquown wrote:
> On 9/8/2014 1:34 PM, Kalmia wrote:
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> > On Monday, September 8, 2014 10:10:04 AM UTC-4, Dave Smith wrote:
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> >> On 2014-09-08 9:23 AM, Kalmia wrote:
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> >>>>
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> >>>> I doubt any poor people buy bread machines... whatever cash they
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> >>>> have
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> >>>>
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> >>>> they spend on booze, smokes, and more serious drugs.
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> >>>
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> >>> I was going to say something along those lines, but didn't wish to be
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> >>> labeled 'uncaring'. I worked enough in free food banks to notice
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> >>> that the interest in cooking levels appear to be almost nonexistent.
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> >>> "Just gimme something free and easy to fix."
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> >>>
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> >>> At the animal shelter, we have a new wrinkle. Person A comes in for
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> >>> free food, then sends in the partner, then the kid on consecutive
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> >>> days for more. Now we ask for photo ID and be sure only so much food
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> >>> is doled out to a given address over a period of time. They're
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> >>> always working on a new angle. For all we know, there is NO animal
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> >>> on the receiving end - they cud be selling it.
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> >> Not a heck of a lot of sympathy there. I love animals and think that
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> >> most people benefit from their companionship. However, there are a lot
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> >> of responsibilities that go along with pet ownership, and if you cannot
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> >> ,
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> >> afford to feed a pet you should not have one.
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> > The shelter's approach is this: we'd rather help with feeding than have another animal surrendered here. The food is supplied by private donors and not paid for by the city. We are merely an exchange depot for free food, but we don't wish to be abused either by dishonest folks.
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> >
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> Most shelters are overcrowded and they just can't take on anymore.
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> There were so many stray cats in this area the Beaufort County Animal
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> Shelter had to open an annex just for cats. It's funded completely by
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> donations. The cats aren't stuck in cages, either, unless they to be
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> isolated for some medical reason. They just run around and play, or
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> sleep. I donated two cannister vaccuums to them. I don't know why they
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> specified cannister vac's. Whatever, I had two. So off to the Tabby
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> House they went.
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> > Some ppl DO hit on hard times and giving up their pet might be the last straw for some.
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> >
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> For some people it could be like giving up a child. I wasn't always in
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> the best financial situation but when my little dog Sampson (I'd raised
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> him from a pup from the time I was 21 and he lived to be nearly 18)
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> needed special food or vet care I always managed, without donations.
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> I do sort of understand the "if you can't afford a pet" mentality. But
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> if you've already got a beloved pet I can't really imagine giving
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> him/her up. It would be heartbreaking. And a major downer if you're
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> already up to your neck in feeling down.

One woman sat and bawled for an hour - debating whether to euthanize or surrender for adoption. The cat was 12, had lots of medical problems, and the woman had just moved, had a sick husband, and was at her wit's end. She finally left the cat for adoption, but returned two days later - someone had given her money for the cat's needs and she took him home. St. Francis at Work story, I call 'em. Believe me, these animals are not surrendered lightly.