October is adopt a shelter dog month but remember all animals in shelters are looking for their forever home. When you adopt a dog from a shelter, you are helping to stop the cruelty often found in commercial breeding facilities, commonly called “puppy mills.” Last month’s newsletter did an article on the cruelty and living conditions of puppy mills. Raids on these facilities often discover female dogs in unsanitary conditions living in small cages, forced to produce litter after litter of puppies while being denied human compassion and companionship. The bonus is you will save money when you adopt a dog who needs a safe and loving home.
As we celebrate Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, we would be remiss to not recognize the founder of America’s first animal shelter, Mrs. Caroline Earl White. Mrs. White and a group of 30 female animal rights activists formed the “Women’s Humane Society” in 1869 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Society’s initial mission focused on advocating for the humane treatment of carriage horses on city streets. Horses were considered beasts of burden for industrial purposes at the time, and carriage horses were often seen being treated harshly on city streets, frequently denied access to clean water and medical care.
After success in advocating for more humane treatment of horses, the women turned their attention later that year to smaller domestic animals when they opened a shelter where lost dogs could be found and reclaimed by their owners or placed in new homes. As their commitment to cause continued, the Women’s Humane Society began the first formal educational program about the humane treatment of animals. In 1909 they raised enough money to open and support a dispensary where owners could bring their dogs and other small animals for medical attention.
Today there are approximately 5,000 community animal shelters nationwide and perhaps as many as 10,000 when including rescue groups and animal sanctuaries in the count. Knowing there are so many places of refuge for unwanted dogs gives us hope that every dog in every shelter will be adopted into a loving permanent home during Adopt a Shelter Dog Month.
Mon Valley Paws 