I believe that caring for God’s creature’s is an important aspect of prosperity. When we consciously and freely choose to take responsibility for the welfare of another living being out of love, we experience a greater joy of living, a deeper satisfaction of giving, and the blissful realization that all living beings are innately connected. There is no sense of separation. Our lives become richer.
Most people love animals, or at the very least don’t want to see them hurt or suffering. Why then do we have nearly 30,000 dogs and cats being put to sleep every day? The reason there are more pets than loving homes is people’s acceptance of certain misconceptions about pet overpopulation.
10 Misconceptions about Spaying or Neutering a Pet
1. Just one litter and then we’ll have Fluffy spayed. (Studies show that virtually the entire pet overpopulation stems from the “just one litter” mentality.)
2. My dog doesn’t run loose, so he doesn’t need to be fixed.
3. We always find homes for the kittens. (And that means that an equal number of kittens at the pound will be killed.)
4. I want the children to witness the miracle of birth. (As Phyllis Wright, director of sheltering, Humane Society of the United States, says “People who let their dogs and cats have litters in order to show their children the miracle of birth should come witness the miracle of death performed in the back rooms of animal shelters all over the country.”)
5. My dog is so special/cute/unique, there should be more of him/her. (Hey, I can definitely relate to this one-my dog really is special, cute, unique, gorgeous and did I mention he’s incredibly good looking and smart as hell? Unfortunately, the shelters and pounds are full of special, cute and unique dogs, most with only a few days to live.)
6. It’s not natural. (There hasn’t been anything “natural” about dogs since we began to develop breeds thousands of years ago.)
7. I couldn’t look my dog in the eye if I had him castrated. (Could you go to the pound and look the dogs and cats in the eye who are about to be put to death? Could you even think about going to the pound and looking them in the eye?)
8. A female dog or cat should have at least one litter for health reasons. (Medically, factually and ethically indefensible.)
9. Neutering my dog will make him fat and lazy. (Too much food and not enough exercise make a dog fat and lazy.)
10. Fixing my pet will change it’s personality. (As with human beings the primary influence on an animal’s personality is the care with which it is raised.)
Gandhi said “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” If your pet is not spayed or neutered, make an appointment with your veterinarian or a pet clinic today. Encourage your friends and loved ones to do the same with their pets. By telling pet owners how many animals are put to sleep each day, consciousness is raised. Usually, people are unaware of these staggering statistics.
Eagle is the owner of Eagleprosperity.net, and the caretaker of Joshua (named after the millionaire, and quite a rascal) a golden retriever/german shepard/something else that makes him smaller, and Katie, a cattle dog who will eat anything, and I mean anything. To send him an email, eagleprosperity (at) yahoo (dot) com.