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Photo by
Linda D. Kozaryn
Photo by
Linda D. Kozaryn
Cats and dogs
depend on their owners for companionship, healthy food, veterinary care, shelter and
safety. Adopting a pet is a life-long commitment. Left on their own, lost or abandoned,
these animals can have a miserable existence. Susan Wallace, a volunteer rescue worker,
for example, found a lost kitten she later named Chardonnay in serious distress in
a Washington, D.C., alley. The 6-month old semiferal stray wore a tiny flea collar
embedded in her neck that had to be surgically removed. After months of tender care,
her open neck wounds are finally healing. Chardonnay, pure white with jade green eyes,
has slowly learned to trust humans again. She will soon be ready for a new home, if
one can be found.
Photo by Linda
D. Kozaryn
Photo by
Linda D. Kozaryn
Photo by
Linda D. Kozaryn
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By
Linda D. Kozaryn
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON -- You can't dump your wife
or husband or children on the side of the road and drive away -- no matter what they've
done. So why do people think they can dispose of cats and dogs that way?
Aren't Mittens and Rover just as much
a part of the family as the kids?
Unfortunately, some people don't make
the same "for better or worse" commitment to their pets. If they did, the nation's
4,000 to 6,000 animal shelters would not be putting 6 million cats and dogs to sleep
each year.
Military installations and civilian communities
face the same problems with abandoned pets. For its part, DoD intends to help teach
people about responsible pet ownership.
"We're hoping to fund a program in the
coming fiscal year to develop and distribute educational brochures and pamphlets that
will be sent out through veterinarians, pest management, natural resource and morale,
welfare and recreation officials," said Alison Dalsimer, a contract natural resource
management specialist with DoD's environmental security office. "Ideally, the products
will become part of the standard information given to military personnel when they
come to a base."
DoD's program will explain what happens
to animals abandoned by their owners, Dalsimer said. Many live short, unpleasant lives,
and eventually end up killed by predators, disease, cars, or they end up in shelters.
She said it's easy to be a responsible
pet owner: Just remember your cat or dog depends on you to provide companionship,
healthy food, veterinary care, shelter and safety -- and this commitment lasts for
the life of the animal. Healthy cats and dogs can live 10 to 18 years.
Pending DoD's educational efforts, she
pointed to tips offered by the Humane Society of the United States. The tips and much
more information about pet care on the society's Web site, www.hsus.org:
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Spay or
neuter your pet. This will keep him or her healthier and help reduce the problem of
overpopulation. |
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License
your pet according to local laws. |
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Attach
an ID tag to your pet's collar showing your name, address and telephone number. |
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Make your
pet an indoor pet. Your cat or dog should live inside with the rest of the family.
The American Bird Conservancy, a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation
of wild birds and their habitats, has launched a campaign to promote humane removal
of free-roaming cats from sensitive wildlife areas and to persuade cat owners to keep
their cats indoors. For information on Cats Indoors, go to www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/policy/cats/.
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Make your
pet an indoor pet. Your cat or dog should live inside with the rest of the family. |
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Keep your
cat or dog on a leash or under your control whenever you take him or her outside for
exercise. This will protect your pet from cars, other animals, disease and theft,
as well as from being a public nuisance. |
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Give your
pet a nutritious diet, including constant access to clean water. |
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Give your
pet plenty of exercise. |
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Be sure
your pet receives proper veterinary care and keep up with the necessary vaccinations,
including rabies shots. |
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Train your
pet patiently and give him or her lots of love and attention. |
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Groom your
pet often to keep her coat healthy, soft and shiny. Grooming sessions are a wonderful
opportunity to bond with your pet. |
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Have realistic
expectations about your pet. Nobody is perfect. Make a commitment to work through
any behavior or health problems that may arise. Don't just get rid of your pet. |
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Visit your
local animal shelter when it's time to bring a new pet into your life. Adopt one of
the many homeless animals that wait for a lifelong responsible home. |
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