Thursday, March 3, 2011

Wall-e Is Special, But So Are All Dogs Killed

Wall-e is an adorbs puppy who arrived at an animal shelter in Sulpher, Oklahoma along with "about four or five" of his siblings. The puppies were deemed unadoptable because, hey, they were a smidgen thin. The veterinarian then decided the best course of action to deal with malnourished puppies was to kill them. Shelter system failure.

Wall-e received an IV injection of euthasol, along with an intracardiac shot.

Then the puppies received the Gold Star burial treatment by being thrown in the trash bin. In the morning, an animal control officer noticed movement in the trash bin and lo and behold, one of the puppies had survived the killing spree.

The entire universe now wants to save Wall-e's life. His siblings, those sweet, precious, slender puppies, barely receive any mention. The idea that killing dogs who just need food to get better as being a bad idea is never discussed either.

I hate these stories. Yes, hate. They are not real feel-good stories. Point of fact, they simply highlight the utter failure of our traditional shelter system. At a no-kill shelter, these puppies would have been taken to the veterinarian, assessed, and a plan of action would have been implemented. Rescues would have been contacted, foster homes would have been found, and all reasonable actions - like feeding the puppies - would have been taken to help these dogs survive. And then ALL SIX would have been adopted. Saved. Living the life Wall-e will get.

The implication is made that those other puppies, all other dogs killed in this country by shelters, deserved to die. They didn't "fight" back. They received the "right" dosage of kill juice. Their bodies fill our landfills and crematoriums. It's so wrong.

I am happy  Wall-e is alive. But he should have been anyways. He never should have been nearly murdered by people who were supposed to nurture him to good health.

And to all the people who want a "miracle pup", adopt a needy dog at this shelter. Because if this is how they treat skinny puppies, it's a miracle any dog gets out alive.

No comments: