 Article: They Need Us!
There is a desperate need for rescue people in the cities!
I decided to write about this on the web, because there are so few volunteers working in the inner city neighborhoods caring for the strays. There are many more homeless cats and dogs in the cities than the counties. And yet most rescue groups only work in the county. I would urge people who care about animals to go into the city where so many animals are not being helped. Even if you only do a few stops a couple days a week, it would make a big difference to them. There's always two of us to drive down to our stops, so it can be a way to get together with other animal lovers in your area. We are sometimes stopped by the police (if they don't recognize us) to make sure we're not there to buy drugs. We always carry our ID and some literature to show them about animals.
We are approached sometimes too by drug dealers in the area, we just say not interested and then they go away. We just try to focus on the job we're there to do. The cats and dogs are so hungry, some will start crying when we come because they know we want to help them.
All of the major cities have a big problem with strays who aren't being cared for, Baltimore, Washington D.C., Detroit, Camden, LosAngeles, New York city, Cincinatti, Miami, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Atlanta, Trenton, Newark, Chicago,etc. Nothing will change until more people get involved with helping the animals that live in these areas. I've read about Alley Cat Allies who began the TNR program (trap-neuter-release) , I think this is fine as long as the cats are relocated to a safe area . Many are frightened of people and they need to be taken to a quiet safe location. These cats and dogs become very loving, once they are adopted by someone. Nobody should let their animals have babies or go to pet shops when so many strays are out there waiting for someone to take them in. My friend always says the streets are where it's at - so true.
There are so many people who read the web sites, or belong to rescue groups, or have their own family pets, if only more will volunteer to help out in the city. A friend of mine who feeds the strays began doing three stops in the projects this year and he is amazed at all the cats there, many who are owned that are outside all the time, thin and needing to be fed. Another lady who is a visiting nurse in the city has several stops she goes to feed the strays . She has managed to rescue some of the dogs and cats with her daughters helping her. One small terrier in one of here neighborhoods was in bad shape and she asked the man if she could have him, but he said no. Well several weeks later, his brother saw her and told her the man was in jail and she could take the dog. So, this was a happy ending for that dog who needed a lot of medical care and was adopted by a nice couple afterwards.
We have taken quite a few cats and dogs off the streets in the past twelve years I've been helping the strays. We can't just ignore them. It doesn't take much time to do, a couple hours a week. You can email me or some of the groups I have links to for tips on how to get started working on the streets with the strays. Alley Animals does over 200 alleys in the city now. I'm hoping that more pet lovers reading this will decide to volunteer.
They do need your help! "Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little." - Edmund Burke |
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