Home » Plants & Animals » Homeless Pets » Look Beneath the Surface

Look Beneath the Surface

© Sherrie Walker

"Saving of Pepper's Life" read the subject of the e-mail. Pepper was a border collie mix who had been found in a dumpster and was now living in a shelter. The shelter was full to overflowing, and Marita Wittkopp, a volunteer with the shelter, was trying desperately to find a home for Pepper before she had to be put down. "She is a sweetheart, loving and affectionate," wrote Marita, who hated to see such a sweet dog lose her life because no one wanted her.

Pepper could be the poster dog for all the millions of homeless dogs and cats who would make wonderful pets, but who are passed over for adoption time after time - until time runs out. They are healthy and have no behavior problems, so why don't they get adopted? The main reason is because there simply aren't enough homes available. Some people still refuse to spay or neuter their pets, thus allowing litters of often-unwanted puppies and kittens to be born. They don't take the responsibilities of pet ownership seriously, so they give up their pets without a second thought when they become "inconvenient." More and more communities are passing ordinances limiting the number of pets per household. Therefore, good, responsible people who might be willing and able to take in more homeless pets are unable to do so because of local restrictions.

There's another reason, though, that I believe many dogs and cats don't get adopted, and Pepper is a good example - there is nothing exceptional about their appearance. They're not ugly, by any means. Ugly might be better - at least it would make them stand out from the crowd. They're mixed breeds, who may, like Pepper, look more or less like a particular breed, but may not look like anything identifiable. They're just your average-looking dog or cat, nothing special. And yet they are special, every single one of them, if only someone would take the trouble to look beneath the surface.

Pepper was lucky. Someone took time to get to know her and see what a special dog she was. Someone made the extra effort to try to save her. As a result, Pepper became Animal Allies' first rescue. She's living in a foster home (mine) and may stay there permanently. In any case, there will be no more dumpsters in Pepper's future, only love.

There are so many more Peppers out there, though, who aren't lucky enough to have a Marita in their lives. They're waiting for someone to take the time to look beneath the surface and see how special they are - before they run out of time.

The copyright of the article Look Beneath the Surface in Homeless Pets is owned by . Permission to republish Look Beneath the Surface in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.