Wednesday, May 29, 2013

"HOW WE JUSTIFY THE NEED TO EDUCATE OUR FUTURE DECISION MAKERS"


    
In nearly 20 years of listening to thousands of adults explain why they ‘had to’ dump their pets, it became so clear that most of them honestly didn’t have a clue as to how easy it would have been for them to have done the right thing in the first place.  Instead, they end up assuming there are no options.  They feel this is an acceptable solution.    
   
But most horrifying is the fact they rarely feel true remorse. Many still think dog pounds will find their pets a new home.  Many feel finding a good home for their pets is merely finding someone with a backyard and a smile promising to love it, with no background check or agreement at all.  In as much as I’ve grown weary and disheartened with today’s adults,

The benefits derived from pet ownership have been researched extensively since the 1970s. There is no doubt that a close relationship with companion animals is of benefit to the emotional and psychological development of children, provides much needed companionship and support to the elderly, assists in the recovery rate of patients suffering from serious illness and decreases the rate of minor illness, and may substantially reduce the risk of heart disease. Pets-as-therapy programs around the world have highlighted the benefits of assistance dogs, horse riding for sufferers of cerebral palsy and other disabilities, and the use of companion animals with mentally disturbed children and adolescents. With such strong support for the benefits of pets it could be suggested that pet ownership should in fact be actively encouraged by governments and health authorities, and it is not inconceivable that pets may be prescribed for the sick or disturbed in the future.

Urban consolidation decreased size of private open space (backyards) and increasing competition for public open space (parks) places enormous pressures on dog owners in particular. Similarly for the non-pet owner, closer proximity and increased contact with other peoples' pets seems inevitable.

Urban planning, education programs for pet owners and non-pet owners alike, and the development of realistic and enforceable animal control laws are the key to maintaining the balance between the needs of the majority of our community i.e. the pet owners, and the welfare and rights of others
There has been a great deal of interest in the dog attack issue over the past two years. Unfortunately this has not been helped by the media and highly emotive claims from unsubstantiated sources.  Clearly, education in many forms and on many levels is the only way to correct problems such as these.

In reality, "from 65 to 93% of dog attacks occurred in or near the dog owner's home" (Podberscek & Blackshaw 1990). Despite popular opinion, stray dogs are rarely aggressive towards humans (Beck 1979).
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Evaluation of Solutions

EDUCATION

Children
Children must obtain a basic grounding in the care and management of companion animals. They must be taught to respect all animals and to realize they have a responsibility to care for pets. In schools this can be effectively achieved through the Pet Pep program which should be in every Australian primary school by the end of 1993. Younger children however must also be targeted from as early as possible through their parents and preschool classes.
Adults - pet owners

The expectations of pet ownership and the associated responsibilities have changed rapidly. In the past two decades it has become unacceptable to allow a dog to roam the streets or defecate in public areas. Pet owners often ignore these attitudinal changes in the community. Educational material aimed at pet owners must aim at raising the awareness of these changes and assist them in being able to meet the more demanding expectations of a far more vocal non-pet owning group.

This education process can occur through:
i. media
- advertising
- human interest/current affair programs
- regular stories in print.
ii. seminars
Highly successful community seminars can be held at local venues with speakers like the local vets and the animal control officer (ACO). Incentive to attend such seminars can be generated by pre-publicity, free gift or bonus eg decreased dog registration fee for attendance.
iii. information booths
This popular concept can access the general public in shopping centers, local festivals and other community activities. The booths must be approachable and staffed by trained personnel who can answer queries.
iv. videos
There are a number of pet education videos available for all age groups. Local libraries could stock these as could veterinary
surgeries and council offices.
v. signs
Clear posters and signs indicating acceptable behavior are essential e.g. a graphic depicting dog's droppings with a slash through it (AFIRAC 1986:65). This signage must be accompanied by supportive action by councils to provide for the disposal of faces.
vi. leaflets
Multilingual, easy to understand information brochures should be provided for dissemination at all possible venues. Letter-boxing such leaflets could be effective.

THE COMMUNITY
The status of pets in the community must be promoted. It should be unacceptable to denigrate the importance of the people/pet relationship or stipulate areas that are exempt to pet owners. The education of the community to accept pet ownership as an integral and important right of its members must be achieved in conjunction with raising the consciousness and concern of pet owners for others.
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I stand firm in my belief that if they had knowledge of the resulting consequences of their actions, or been informed of just how simple and easy it is to do the right thing in the first place, almost all of them would have done the right thing.  These ‘options’ not only save money, but they save lives.  Ignorance and apathy, (the lack of understanding the entire picture) are undoubtedly the biggest part of the problems nowadays and are overwhelming in today’s adults.  The good news is, both are easily correctable

Randy N. Warner uses his experiences of rescuing abandoned and abused dogs for the past 18 years to show students 'cause and affect' and to teach them compassionate means of avoiding the unnecessary continuation of these deadly acts Since his mission is to do whatever possible to see some form of humane education program in our nation's schools, it is difficult to walk away from meeting with Mr. Warner without feeling his undying passion to spread his universal message to the next generation. It is hoped that they will benefit from the love and compassion that all animals can offer us and stop the abuse and overpopulation.

The more people we can involve in and educate on these matters, the more that they will all understand the seriousness and magnitude of the atrocities being committed every day in this country and around the world. It can only be a good thing. It is proven that it does NOT take money to solve these problems! It takes the sharing of information and community involvement.  Adult Americans are currently responsible for the sad legacy we leave to the younger generation in regards to the animals - their abuse, overpopulation and subsequent convenient and unnecessary euthanasia. So, it is only logical that if the general public is causing these problems, then we can't depend on THEM to teach their children how to correct the situation. They obviously don't know.

Nobody has a litter of puppies or kittens just so they can be abused or later put to sleep. Most of those directly involved simply do the things they do out of ignorance, over inflated ego and apathy. We adults simply never had an opportunity to be involved in a comprehensive or successful humane education program. We simply learned a lot of the things we did through talking to our family at the dinner table, etc. Now that our families are more pseudo-assembled than ever, the topic of how best to care for Spot and Muffy, is simply lost in the shuffle. These things simply need some explaining in order to correct them. What used to be very simple, still is. We just need to begin where we obviously left off - with the kids.
      
Randy has been given thousands of silly and unbelievable reasons why the 'owners' had to get rid of their beloved pets. "They no longer match the interior of my living room," or she gained too much weight and we don't want a fat dog, or it's not housebroken, it barks.  All are the fault of the caregiver / guardian, or in this case the pet's 'owner'. In almost all cases, had the person or family adopting the pet had checked out the given breed's qualities or taken some time in properly caring for the pet, it would have become a wonderful addition to the family and it's lifestyle.

We provide information obtained from various national animal welfare groups and show proven means of avoiding he re-occurrences of these mistakes. They all provide good solid research with variety of solutions to all the big problems. We will discuss various ways in which they can become more active in their community by gaining knowledge and acting according to what is the best for all souls who surround them.    

This program, and many others like it, could easily change the way most people today think about their pets as well as how they are cared for. Many people simply begin by adopting the wrong type pet for the family and lifestyle they have. People will spend more time researching a new automobile than looking into the type of living soul they wish to spend the next 15 years with. A large number of those will just as easily take a puppy over an adult dog because 'they want to train it to be like they want it to be" only to give up on it and take it to the pound.

Ignorantly, a lot of people seem to think that their pet will certainly find a good home. The reality is obviously quite different. Then there is the thought that only 'bad' dogs and cats are found at the pound; therefore they would rather not go there. In reality, the majority of the animals who are awaiting adoption at the local dog pound are only there due to an ignorant and impatient 'owner'. So, ignorance of the adults, in general will also be the main cause of these animals never having a fair shot at a second chance for life.
      
The most important focus of this program is to teach the younger generation that if they have a litter of puppies or kitties, then they immediately become the biggest problem we have in solving the situation of overpopulation. "But, I found good homes for my litter" is only an excuse for ignorance. If you are part of a company who makes widgets and you have an overstock of more than 8 million widgets that can't be sold and must be destroyed, the ONLY solution to preventing additional and costly losses is to stop manufacturing widgets.

When asked why so many normal, well-educated and loving families had a litter of puppies or kittens, two responses kept coming up. "Oh, we PLAN to have our pets spayed or neutered, but we wanted to have a couple litters first." In other words, they just missed the whole point of the spay and neuter campaign. The second one is "we just wanted to show the children the miracle of birth" Then the only fair thing to do in this situation is to take them to the local dog pound to volunteer for a couple days as well. After all, you've just become one of the biggest contributing factors to the problems we see at our animal facilities!!

 Overcrowding. BACKYARD BREEDERS are not educated, they are not providing quality dogs and cats and they DON'T have you or your new pet's best interest at hand. See the page marked "Backyard Breeders".

One thing that is very upsetting is when the school administrators feel this is NOT a necessary or appropriate educational program for their students. It is very disheartening to hear a superintendent or principal downplay these programs that affect each and every student and faculty member in their reach. Excuses like "All of our students already have dogs or cats" to "we don't feel that we need an outsider into our schools to tell us we need to learn about how to be responsible for our pets and their needs'. We are aware that most of their students have or will have pets of their own. We just don't particularly wish for them to simply follow in the footsteps of those adults or caregivers they learn live with. After all, it's today's adults - all of us, to a certain extent - who are creating this problem.

THE EDUCATION PROGRAM OUR MAIN GOAL IS TO PREVENT THE UNNECESSARY KILLING OF INNOCENT, ADOPTABLE PETS DUE TO IGNORANCE AND IRRESPONSIBILITY BY HUMANs     

What follows is an outline  or  an abbreviated version of the program that usually lasts about 45 minutes or more, depending on questions coming from the students and adults in attendance The discussion involving the possible formation of their local humane education club or helping them to launch a project to help their community would be following this short program and could last an hour or more.

. This could take place at another time and place with an adult advisor, so as not to prevent the students from missing additional class time.
TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION WITH THE STUDENTS:
1. The benefits of community involvement. Do not stand idly by and allow abuse, neglect or other ignorance by humans. Help the community to learn to better through information sharing.
2. The need for everyone with a pet to have some form of access to proper training and guidance.
3. The importance of becoming the 'guardian' of the proper pet for you and your family and the lifestyle you live.
4. The absolute evils of having a litter of puppies or kittens along with the importance of timely spaying and neutering of said pet.
5. The importance of providing the appropriate needs for your pet, not necessarily what your ego decides is best for them.
6. How everyone can become involved on an individual basis by helping senior citizens and low income families by providing occasional vet trips or a few bags of dog food to prevent their pets from being relinquished to the animal facility unnecessarily.
7. The benefits of beginning with an adult dog from the dog pound as opposed to 'assuming' that they have the knowledge or understanding of how to properly train a new young puppy to meet their needs. (Having my five dogs in the classroom that are obviously very lovable and worthwhile, helps bring this point home with some foundation) Each one was an adult from the pound when I adopted him or her. The fact that one has kept a puppy, only means they were lucky, not necessarily a skilled or knowledgeable trainer. An adult dog from the pound is already spayed and neutered, vaccinated; past it's digging and chewing stage and will respond with love and affection as it has just come from a family who obviously didn't care.
8. The proven benefits for humans as well as their pets of providing 'indoor' sleeping arrangements for their pets. Reduced allergies for children, improved allergenic reactions for adults who already have them, as well as a longer and healthier life for the pets as well. After all, if a dog is to protect its most important family members, it can't do so from the back yard if it has no access to the inside areas. (Reference: Associated Press article by Justin Pritchard in San Francisco)

9. A 'guard dog' is one who has been properly trained for the job and understands its boundaries. It is NOT a dog someone throws into the back yard with no guidance or training. The latter will only prove to annoy your neighbors and cause your family undue troubles with barking, biting or destruction of property.
10. Why the perfect family should consider a second compatible dog or cat as a companion for the first one. (Too many deserving and loving animals will die if not, and dogs and cats are social animals and enjoy the company of other compatible dogs and cats) They play with and train each other and offer much needed exercise for each other.
11. The absolute necessity for having proper identification on your pet at ALL TIMES. (I.e. 4th of July, New Years Eve, tornadoes, earthquakes and various events that frighten your pet to where they will escape out of fear.)
12. To discuss the proven links between animal abuse and future criminal activity as adults. (Reference Houston Chronicle Story Nov 29, 2000 by Jo Ann Zuiga: "Animal Abuse May Be Warning Sign)
13. IF you are forced to part with your beloved pet, remember to never take it to the local pound, but to a local rescue org. and NEVER place a "FREE TO GOOD HOME" ad in the paper. The 'whys' and the options. Rethink your decision to relinquish the pet. It has already given everything it has to try and please you and would certainly give it's life to protect you if need be. Don't dump it off for silly self-centered reasons, which could be rectified through some training tips or a few sacrifices on your part.
SUGGESTED PROJECTS FOR THOSE INTERESTED
1. To hopefully prepare a program in which the members will visit other schools in and around the local area to share this information and hopefully help others to form these humane education clubs in their schools as well.
2. The first several meetings of this group can be enhanced through additional speakers from their local humane organizations, vets, dog trainers and animal control officers who will share their local problems with the students.
3. Offers to assist senior citizens and low income families with donated food and vet visits as well as training tips to improve the quality of the pets' lives as well as their own.
4. How to convince the public to obtain appropriate identification for all pets either through a simple engraved tag on the collar or micro-chipping.
5. To tackle the project of holding an OFF SITE adoption program for those pets who would otherwise face certain death at the local facility. After all, the public rarely goes to the pound, as it is a very sad and depressing place. They will, however attend an event at a local city park where each animal is leashed and accompanied by a volunteer with a card containing the autobiography of that given pet.
6. Try to tackle a project such as opening a local dog park where the dogs and their guardians come to socialize, run and play with each other in a securely fenced area.
7. Obtaining much needed coverage in their school newspaper to help other students to learn proper care-giving procedures and responsibilities for their pets. Not to mention the benefits to their org. as well as the local community of having nice coverage within their local papers and t. v. news.
8. Letter writing campaigns, neighborhood 'reach' programs and other means of truly helping the local population as well as local government officials to provide improved care for their pets.

9. The need to speak out and get involved in issues that surround your family and those you care about. To take action and vote on issues and for candidates who strongly support and stand by ideals that help your local area to grow and improve the quality of life for all souls who reside there. Do not sit idly by while a neighbor neglects or abuses an animal by tying it up to a post or allowing it to go without food or water. Do not sit idly by while an important initiative gets defeated in your local elections.
IF  YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW, THINKS THEY WOULD LIKE TO GO TO SCHOOLS AND VOLUNTEER SOME TIME AND INFORMATION IN AN ATTEMPT TO HELP THE NEXT GENERATION BECOME MORE INFORMED AND COMPASSIONATE, PLEASE EMAIL OR CALL 21ST CENTURY CARES.  YOU WILL BE PROVIDED WITH INFORMATION ON HOW TO APPROACH THE SCHOOLS, MATERIALS FOR VARIOUS GRADE LEVELS, PROJECT IDEAS AND MORE.

LESSON PLAN IDEAS

LESSON PLAN OUTLINE
OBJECTIVE: This information will clearly teach the students that there are so many aspects to providing pets with the proper thoughts, care and treatment. It outlines all major points of why so many pets are relinquished or lost each year as well as proving that this can be STOPPED if only people have the correct information to work from. Throughout this program, it will also instill within the students, that compassion and understanding for 'other than themselves' is critical in thinking and acting throughout life and provides many benefits towards character development. See IMPORTANCE OF HUMANE EDUCATION
TIME: 3-4 class periods per school year (average class period 45 min each)

MATERIALS NEEDED: Are listed throughout this outline. A Complete listing of materials that are applicable are listed at HUMANE EDUCATION page.

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Everyone must recognize that I am not a teacher by trade. I've been asked for a Lesson Plan by many and I didn't even know what that was for the longest time. The reason I am so comfortable and do such a good job with students, regardless of age, is that I know I'm sharing information with them that they have not heard before and that will change their lives.
Humane Education, as it is known to be, is the whole idea of environment, compassion for all animals and so forth. I am only dealing with responsibility and education regarding our companion animals. For those who provide me with an audience, I believe they will be more likely to look into some form of further humane education later on. It's my opinion, but I feel that trying to discuss more angles or topics involved, would dilute the message and the students would not retain the info we hope regarding the animals. The entire package is for those who have an actual curriculum where time allows this.
You can visit any grade level you choose. I never go to those below 5th grade as I don't feel they can quite grasp what they should in order to follow the program. You must realize that the high school students are sometimes more difficult to speak to, but they are also the ones who will be out on their own in 1-3 years and NEED to hear this at least once before they begin to make the same mistakes so many others have before them. So, do everything possible to see that the higher grades are included in your efforts.  (not unlike drunk driving and criminal activities, the majority of abuse and neglect cases are from males ages 18 - 30)
The average class period is approximately 45 minutes. Therefore, that is likely the time you will be allotted. Of course, you can always take advantage of additional time with questions and answers. Even with the 45 minutes, there are interruptions and the delay in starting by at least 5 min also. I usually begin with some humor or something funny or silly to get their attention. I 'apologize' for misleading the students with my appearance, but contrary to rumors, I am not Brittany Spears' double. (I'm 50, short, somewhat weighty, practically bald) and that gets a chuckle from any age group. To let the older students know that I am here to give them information and I expect them to pay attention, I usually begin by asking 'How many of you feel that the info I'm about to give you is something you already know? You already know all there is to know about how to keep a pet." You'll have a couple smarties that will raise their hands. I have some chairs available and ask them to come up front. I place the chairs right where I plan to stand and tell them, 'if you know all there is to know, then I'm going to ask you to sit here to keep me honest and correct me when I make mistakes, OK?
Personally, I wouldn't dream of visiting a school or group meeting for this, without having a rescue animal that is safe with everyone, to have a real time visual they can touch and experience during my speaking. It brings the presentation's message to a whole different and meaningful level. Of the 70+ schools I"ve visited in 8 western states, I believe all but two made it very clear they would not allow any dogs. I took them along anyway, since the van was our daytime home and without fail, they were welcomed into each and every school and became instant celebrities. It helps that I look confident and do nothing to bring attention to the dogs - they bring enough to themselves by being so diversified in size, shape and color, plus being well behaved ladies and gentlemen. Mine don't bark, won't leave my site, don't jump, but absolutely can hardly contain their excitement - anticipating all those hands that want to pet them.  See  the article from Chicagoland Tails and Monterey, CA newspaper.

I will still only provide suggestions and outlines for those who wish to go into the schools. I could give you a 'word for word presentation, but, you would have to re work it to be comfortable with the way you naturally speak, plus, what I speak of in my presentations may not be applicable or relevant in your specific community.

OK. I hope you have a list of the pages from my "I CAN HELP" page. I feel strongly that anyone visiting a school or youth group should read all the pages in the first category listing. It is 36 pages of a wide variety of things you can and should discuss with the audience. As I say in my intro to that page, we don't use terms like 'shelters' or euthanasia and putting to sleep. Those are inappropriate for such a horrific and neglectful situation that is occurring. You will be surprised at the number of people - even adults - who are unaware of the statistics and the irresponsibility of humans with their pets. To soften the horror to make it sound nicer is simply doing one thing: it makes the audience see that it's not nearly as bad as it really is. They go to dog pounds or county facilities and there, they are killed. Some with injections, some with the gas chamber, and even some with bullets from high school boys who are making extra money.

The only page that I use in its' entirety is 'SPAYN.HTM' the Spay and Neuter Story for Kids. This is how I begin every presentation. You'll see that it starts out very blunt, but immediately changes to how they can do their part to stop this by listening and then making different decisions than previous generations have made. They will do that with knowledge of the facts. They may or may not do this with a softened and politically correct means of using the more accepted words. I just don't see it.
Some other pages that are 'musts' in their content, are 'Backyard Breeders' 'I died today"  "In or Out' and 'Your Next Pet" If you could read these pages enough times to be familiar with their content, you could present a decent program in your own words. After doing rescue for so many years, the 'pregnancy' and 'allergies' pages have strong substantial impacts with those I speak to. It is amazing to realize the number of animals which are relinquished due to the woman's first pregnancy or their unjust fears and incorrect assumptions of allergies.

There is no doubt, it will seem overwhelming and frightening at first. But anyone who has the sense and compassion to recognize the importance of humane education, certainly has the information through their experiences to speak for 45 minutes. MAKE SURE YOU TAKE A WRITTEN LIST OF TOPICS. keep them with you and don't be afraid to look at them. I always do. My outline is this:

1. The absolute evils of having a litter of puppies or kittens along with the importance to the health of the pets to provide spaying and neutering at a young age. See Spay and Neuter Story for Kids.
2. The need for everyone with a pet to have some form of access to proper training and guidance. It's very clear that most people assume they have the talent to train a dog, but the likelihood is that they were just lucky. Most likely is that they won't take the appropriate time to do what is necessary to bring the puppy to the level of bahavior they wish to have and will end up getting rid of the dog unfortunately.
3. The importance of becoming the 'guardian' of the proper pet for you and your family and the lifestyle you live. Definition of 'owner': One who has possession of an object, thing or piece of real estate. Definition of 'guardian' One who adopts a child or pet for the sole purpose of providing necessary care, compassion, guidance, love, exercise, food, water and shelter for a safe healthy existance.
4. The benefits of community involvement. Do not stand idly by and allow abuse, neglect or other ignorance by humans. Help the community to learn to better through information sharing.'If you don't tell them, who will?"  Many ideas can be located here.
5. The importance of providing the appropriate needs for your pet, not necessarily what your ego decides is best for them. Dogs tied to a post, teathered to a fence, kept in a small pen, etc. That is what the human wants for them and is not at all healthy for the pet.
6. How everyone can become involved on an individual basis by helping senior citizens and low income families by providing occasional vet trips or a few bags of dog food to prevent their pets from being relinquished to the animal facility unnecessarily.
7. The benefits of beginning with an adult dog from the dog pound as opposed to 'assuming' that they have the knowledge or understanding of how to properly train a new young puppy to meet their needs. (Having my five dogs in the classroom that are obviously very lovable and worthwhile, helps bring this point home with some foundation) Each one was an adult from the pound when I adopted him or her. The fact that one has kept a puppy, only means they were lucky, not necessarily a skilled or knowledgeable trainer. An adult dog from the pound is already spayed and neutered, vaccinated; past it's digging and chewing stage and will respond with love and affection as it has just come from a family who obviously didn't care. See 'Your Next Pet' for full argument.
8. The proven benefits for humans as well as their pets of providing 'indoor' sleeping arrangements for their pets. Reduced allergies for children, improved allergenic reactions for adults who already have them, as well as a longer and healthier life for the pets as well. After all, if a dog is to protect its most important family members, it can't do so from the back yard if it has no access to the inside areas. (Reference: Associated Press article by Justin Pritchard in San Francisco) See 'Inside or Outside' pets for full story.
9. A 'guard dog' is one who has been properly trained for the job and understands its boundaries. It is NOT a dog someone throws into the back yard with no guidance or training. The latter will only prove to annoy your neighbors and cause your family undue troubles with barking, biting or destruction of property. This is a lazy mans' way of making excuses for not providing the pet with the proper care, socialization and compassion required by all pets.
10. Why the perfect family should consider a second compatible dog or cat as a companion for the first one. (Too many deserving and loving animals will die if not, and dogs and cats are social animals and enjoy the company of other compatible dogs and cats) They play with and train each other and offer much needed exercise for each other.
11. The absolute necessity for having proper identification on your pet at ALL TIMES. (I.e. 4th of July, New Years Eve, tornadoes, earthquakes and various events that frighten your pet to where they will escape out of fear.)
12. To discuss the proven links between animal abuse and future criminal activity as adults. (Reference Houston Chronicle Story Nov 29, 2000 by Jo Ann Zuiga: "Animal Abuse May Be Warning Sign) 
13. IF you are forced to part with your beloved pet, remember to never take it to the local pound, but to a local rescue org. and NEVER place a "FREE TO GOOD HOME" ad in the paper. The 'whys' and the options. Rethink your decision to relinquish the pet. It has already given everything it has to try and please you and would certainly give it's life to protect you if need be. Don't dump it off for silly self-centered reasons, which could be rectified through some training tips or a few sacrifices on your part.
14. Make sure you select the appropriate pet for your family's lifestyle. If you live in a large high rise, you don't want a dog that needs to run 20 miles a day (dalmatian) If you are less active family or one who is always on the run, you don't want to get a highly active dog. However, a Great Dane, as well as a german shepherd are good dogs for apartment living as they do not require the high energy exercise nor the volume of walks that many others do. Smaller dogs are usually NOT best for condo or apt living due to their excessive barking that disturbs the neighbors.

SUGGESTED PROJECTS FOR THOSE INTERESTED
1. To hopefully prepare a program in which the members will visit other schools in and around the local area to share this information and hopefully help others to form these humane
education clubs in their schools as well. ***This helps the students with business planning, public speaking, speech preparations and much more.  See Forming clubs
2. The first several meetings of this group can be enhanced through additional speakers from their local humane organizations, vets, dog trainers and animal control officers who will share their local problems with the students.
3. Offers to assist senior citizens and low income families with donated food and vet visits as well as training tips to improve the quality of the pets' lives as well as their own. Also see this.
4. How to convince the public to obtain appropriate identification for all pets either through a simple engraved tag on the collar or micro-chipping. ***The excuse for not having proper I.D. is that their pets never leave their home. On the fifth of July for example, pounds and other animal control facilities are flooded with pets with no I.D. from fear of the fireworks the previous night. Nearly 150,000 are killed just due to this one annual event. So, if they had ID or had been placed inside the home as they should, this would not occur.
5. To tackle the project of holding an OFF SITE adoption program for those pets who would otherwise face certain death at the local facility. After all, the public rarely goes to the pound, as it is a very sad and depressing place. They will, however attend an event at a local city park where each animal is leashed and accompanied by a volunteer with a card containing the autobiography of that given pet. *** People do NOT want to go to the dog pound or county facility due to it's gruesome smells, sights, sounds, etc. This allows people to experience these dogs in a happy, playful atmosphere of adoptability.For each volunteer, there is one dog on a leash. That volunteer has a 3X5 card with all the details of said pet and will allow prospective adopting families to walk the dog and get to know it. This all takes place with the volunteer right at their side at all times and inside an enclosed, fenced area.
6. Try to tackle a project such as opening a local dog park where the dogs and their guardians come to socialize, run and play with each other in a securely fenced area or help adopt some older 'un adoptable' dogs to senior citizens who live alone - a win win situation. *** Creative thinking is the true success story in all this.
7. Obtaining much needed coverage in their school newspaper to help other students to learn proper care-giving procedures and responsibilities for their pets. Not to mention the benefits to their org. as well as the local community of having nice coverage within their local papers and TV. news. *** This will help them see how networking, publicity and the sharing of knowledge can truly make the difference in this tragedy that is really so very easy to stop.
8. The need to speak out and get involved in issues that surround your family and those you care about. To take action and vote on issues and for candidates who strongly support and stand by ideals that help your local area to grow and improve the quality of life for all souls who reside there. Do not sit idly by while a neighbor neglects or abuses an animal by tying it up to a post or allowing it to go without food or water. Do not sit idly by while an important initiative gets defeated in your local elections. ***This will assist students to understand their government.  They will learn how their local government works, ways to lobby their government, and increase awareness and appreciation for how the system works in which they live.
9. Letter writing campaigns, neighborhood 'reach' programs and other means of truly helping the local population as well as local government officials to provide improved care for their pets. ****This will help students' writing abilities, vocabulary, english skills, and grammar.

I would strongly advise that you take along a half dozen additional printed pages i.e. Jim Willis' written pieces.  I have four of them on my site.  "How Could You?",  ''True Story" and "Free Kittenz" are my two favorites.  Then some additional pages that you will leave with the teacher. Hopefully at a later date, in an effort to re mind them of all they learned today,   they will either discuss one of these - each at different times, or do an essay on them, etc.  You really don't' want to just leave and not have them discuss this topic again or they will not retain the information provided. Remember, the compassion and understanding they will learn from this program can and will change the world in which we live.
Additional questions or comments are welcome.   Please email 21stcares@gmail.com 

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HOW TO FUND YOUR HUMANE EDUCATION EFFORTS




INTRODUCTION

We are seeking confident individuals who clearly possess a drive of self motivation and are passionate about companion animals who are mistreated, neglected and too often killed.  We have the information, we know what the main causes of the unnecessary deaths and abuse and neglect. However, not a single organization is out in the field with paid or volunteer staff to begin the process of guiding our next generation towards making more informed decisions.  We plan to change that with the hiring and training of various caring individuals who aren't afraid of speaking to large groups of students and giving them information  that will greatly reduce these deaths, abuse and neglect cases for the future.

Americans donated nearly $2 billion in 2010 to their favorite animal protection organizations in hopes of doing exactly what I hope we can do by approaching it from a very different position.  With this $2billion, the rescue groups, both large and small were able to save approximately 90,000 dogs from local and area high kill facilities.  Still, 8 million died at the hands of our county, city and state governments.  It is obvious that their way is not working and that a different plan of attack is considerably overdue.

Each individual representing this organization will offer guidance to students on how they can form their own Humane Education Club for their school.  This would include providing ideas for the first 3-4 meetings' speakers and topics of discussion.

I've posted this across the nation and gotten several interested parties to follow through.

Positions are open in all areas of the United States of America effective January 1, 2013.  21st Century CARES will provide each candidate with all resources needed to provide an educated and informative presentation.  It is important to become familiar with these resources and then to place them into your own words so that you are more comfortable when standing in front of audiences of 5th graders through college including 4H groups, scouting troops and even Sunday School classes.  Each individual will be responsible for his/her hours, locations of engagements and appointments as well as income.  Each presentation will be a minimum of 45 min in length. If Q and A follows, it will be longer.  It will also extend the presentation if you are addressing larger groups i.e. all 4 classes of that particular grade lever in the building or even 5th, 6th and 7th grades in an assembly.

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If you have a CALM AND SAFE dog who is extremely well socialized to be around groups of people especially youth, it is suggested that you make an appt with a local entity that can provide you with the professional opinion that your dog is safe in these situations.  TRUST ME YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE WRONG ON THIS.  YOU MAY PAY FOR THE REMAINDER OF YOUR LIFE OR EVEN WITH THE LIFE OF YOUR PET SHOULD IT BITE OR ATTACK WHILE IN YOUR CARE.

For a motivated individual who also has access to a more populated area, it is conceivable to bring in upwards of $500per week.  Even for those who don't have the time or are more 'rural' in population, it is still easy to assume you could make $200 per week.  Your 'out of pocket' expenses would be some printing, minimal numbers of blank cds and your gas.

My name is Randy N. Warner and it is my goal to have as many folks employed in this manner as we can find and train.  I truly hope that you will never hesitate calling me with questions, as I really want you to do well, be successful and to make some money.  21ST CENTURY CARES DOES NOT TAKE ANY PORTION OF THE INCOME YOU GENERATE nor do we ask for fees, training costs or any other monies generated due to your work efforts for this company.

The young people are eager to learn. They truly do  want to have a cause they can get behind and make some changes.  This is the one we hope they'll adopt.  After all, almost everyone will have a pet at some point in time, so they can directly relate.

STEP 1

Set aside a good time and call Randy at 928-767-4895.  Have a list of questions ready to ask and be prepared to spend an hour or more on the phone to gain a good solid picture of what this position entails, your responsibility, etc.
 

PREPARATION FOR THE FIELD  (after becoming very familiar with the links of information provided below)

1. If you want to become a non profit, call IRS for an EIN number and name your non profit '(fill in this space) Cares'. 800-829-4933

You're looking for an Employee Identification Number (EIN#)
Mine is 21st Century Animal Resource and Education Services and we go by 21st Century CARES. All you need is your EIN and it's free and takes about 20 min. You'll never have to worry about collecting grants or large donations so you won't have to go and develop a board of directors, come up with articles of incorporation, mission statement and bylaws.  DON'T EVER LOSE THIS NUMBER!!!

2.Call any school for 5th grade and up. If you have a friend or relative with contacts, go through them. If not, call and simply tell them you were in the parking lot and met that teacher who is such an animal lover. EVERY SCHOOL HAS ONE OF THESE.  They'll put you through to someone who can get you in. NO CHARGE to them.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO SPEAK TO LARGER GROUPS I.E. THE ENTIRE 5TH AND 6TH GRADE CLASSES IN THAT BUILDING AT ONCE.  This will prevent you from having to return over and over again.  Speaking to only one of the 5th grade classes from that building is also sort of a waste of your time. Assemblies are difficult to convince schools to do, but can really offer a great venue and atmosphere for some good information sharing.  Simply combining the 5th and 6th graders is not as overwhelming and much easier to handle for you as well as the school administrators and teachers.

If you live in or near a more populated area, start with your Charter schools. They are there to try new things and are not bound by all the red tape that our normal public schools are.   Then use them as references.

You'll address the issues that will help them make better and more compassionate decisions in life, help them form their own humane education club, provide them with articles, lesson plans, project suggestions etc - all from the website.

Most importantly, let them know you will be donating a full set of seven books on humane education and character development to their school library. They really appreciate that. (you'll be doing this with e-books on cd's through free links I will be providing to you)

3. Then go to a business and ask them to sponsor you for $150 or two of them for $75 each. Explain what you do and that you'll be donating 7 books to that school library and the cd cover will say THESE HUMANE EDUCATION BOOKS AND MATERIALS DONATED BY XYZ BUSINESS and will be there forever for kids to see. The school will also love that idea.

(You can get these books downloaded at no charge from the home page of www.21stcenturycares.org/) Then simply copy them onto your  blank CD, print off a cover for the CD case that thanks the business and you're ready to roll.

 The books 'teachers guides' and are simply the contents of the entire website which includes over 1,000 total pages of  lesson plans, project suggestions, stories, research articles and more.

Every day you work, you'll pocket what ever funds you collected for sponsorship. Sometimes you'll only be able to get $100. Big deal. It's 100 bucks you didn't have the day before.

You certainly don't want to keep getting sponsors for the same school. That school doesn't need 3 or 4 cd's with the same information.  We only consider any given school to be a 'success' when our representative has given a full presentation to every student in that building from 5th grade on up. So use your visits wisely so as not to take away from your earnings.

You may also wish to reduce the cost of a sponsorship for the more rural communities and then you would offer fewer books per visit as your lasting contribution to this message for their students.

Local printers may very well give you some copies for no charge as long as they have their logo someplace prominently displayed.  None of the pages for pass out sheets need to be given to every student at your expense. Be wise with your choices and give the teacher the ultimate decision.

 

READING MATERIALS YOU NEED TO REVIEW VERY CLOSELY

Please read the following text very carefully and be aware that this is the general outline of topics for the presentations you will be giving. So, the following should be pretty well memorized prior to your first appearance.

Make this FUN for the kids and teachers as well.  Energetic, but compassionate and most of all informative.

(You can use any number of personal greetings to begin that involve the audience - this is the one that worked for me)

We adults are killing up to 8 million happy, healthy adoptable pets this year in the U. S. We are not doing this due to any comprehensive and viable humane education program in our schools when we were young. Clearly, we are doing this due to a lack thereof. In other words, had they had any education when I was growing up, we wouldn't be killing so many today. Hopefully you will take the info I present today and use it to make better decisions that will reduce the number of animals that suffer abuse, neglect and even death.

MOST people really do not know what is right and what is wrong when it comes to bringing pets inside the home at night, having litters of puppies and kittens, and giving them the guidance and stuff they really need as opposed to what it is we only want to give them. Quite honestly, most adults commit these deadly acts out of ignorance and laziness.

Dogs and cats can help lower your blood pressure, sniff you for epileptic seizures before they happen, guide the blind, alert their humans who are hearing impaired that someone is at the door or the phone is ringing. Yet we dump them at the pound in the most callous of ways when they become a burden and then, they die.

* Importance of spaying and neutering before the age of 6 months. No leg lifting, less likely to run away, to bite, fight and contract testicular or vaginal cancer. Plus they won't have unwanted litters.

* The importance of proper ID on all pets i.e. July 4, Halloween, natural disaster, etc.

* The links between animal abuse at a young age and future criminal behavior and committing much greater crimes.

*Spend time discussing the benefits of community service involvement. ''DO NOT STAND IDLY BY AND ALLOW YOUR FAMILY, FRIENDS OR NEIGHBORS TO ABUSE, NEGLECT OR HAVE LITTERS OF PUPPIES AND KITTENS. Then discuss with them what they feel is abuse and neglect and make sure you fill in the blanks from what they have failed to mention. Tying up on a short chain, not having proper vet care for ailments and injuries, striking the young pet in an attempt to train them.

* The absolute EVIL and irresponsibility of having even one litter of puppies or kittens. Put it into a business prospective. If your company made widgets and every year for the past 50 yrs you've had an end of year surplus of 8 million or more, a business who plans to be successful and stay in business will stop making widgets next year, Then they will review a viable plan to prevent this overage from ever happening again.

*The 'do's and don't' of having to part with a pet. First of all, you NEVER get a pet unless you are the owner of the property at which you reside. Landlords are notorious for deciding that they no longer want pets in the home you rent. Boyfriends will decide they don't like your little cat and try to force you to get rid of it. Be settled and stable before getting one.

If you must part with your pet, do NOT take it to the dog pound. They will kill it the same day. Do NOT put an ad on Craigslist for free dog or free cat. Find a rescue org that will take it until it finds another forever and loving home.

The benefits of having your dog sleep inside the home at night. ( read up on this. There is NO reason to leave a dog outside at night and EVERY reason to bring it inside. Ignorance is the only difference from one home to the other.

Benefits of starting with an adult dog from the pound and then getting a puppy at a later date since the BEST homes will have two dogs.

YOUR DOG WILL BE THE BEST FRIEND YOU'LL EVER HAVE IN YOUR LIFE. DON'T GIVE UP ON THEM BECAUSE THEY WILL NEVER GIVE UP ON YOU.

More than 1,000 pages in total are available to everyone at no charge at www.21stcenturycares.org/


Some of the ones I've authored:


http://21stcenturycares.org/trust.htm


http://21stcenturycares.org/storybook.htm


http://21stcenturycares.org/opusone.htm


http://21stcenturycares.org/proof.htm

 

PROJECT SUGGESTIONS FOR THE STUDENTS FUTURE ACTIVITIES
 

Here are some ideas that interested kids can do in their community to get them involved, help out others and see just how pervasive these problems are all over the country.

There are so many ideas for starting a humane education club after school. but here are some good ways to start.

Suggested projects for kids.

Organize and support a humane education club in your school - much like Future Teachers Club or FFA, etc.

Offer to assist senior citizens and low income families with necessary medications, vet visits, delivery of food, training tips, etc to make the pets happier and healthier with those given family dynamics.

Plan for an all school assembly where you and others in the humane ed club can speak to the entire student body. maybe not all at once, but over time.

Help the community in securing appropriate licensing and ID for all pets in the area.

Have a drive to get local pets micro chipped.

Have a spay neuter clinic come to your town for discount surgeries.

Help local dog pound with adoptions by holding an adopt a thon at your school on Sat for the locals.

Make sure ALL these events are covered by the local newspapers and even TV and radio stations. Remember, what you are doing is CHANGING THE WORLD.

Speak to your town council and discuss the possibilities of opening a dog park for exercise, socialization and to bring the community together.

Consider electing a Lead committee that will visit surrounding schools and youth groups etc to help them also form their own local humane education clubs so you can all share info and grow together.  We can make this effort grow to a national level if only everyone puts in a little effort in a coordinated manner.

Make sure you get the students to understand the following!!!

YOU MUST BE ABLE TO PROUDLY SPEAK OUT WHEN SOMEONE IS NOT GIVING THEIR PET THE PROPER CARE AND NECESSARY MEDICAL TREATMENT. YOU CANNOT ALLOW FAMILY, FRIENDS OR RELATIVES TO ABUSE NOR NEGLECT THEIR PETS. IF YOU CAN'T SAY IT TO THEM DIRECTLY THEN CALL AUTHORITIES AND LET THEM DETERMINE THEIR FATE. IF YOU SEE A DOGGY TIED TO A STAKE WITH A 6 FT CHAIN, JUST THINK HOW HORRIBLE THAT WOULD BE IF YOU WERE HIM. THINK HOW IGNORANT THE HUMAN IS THAT IS DOING THAT TO THE POOR DOG. IF YOU ALLOW THIS TO CONTINUE BY NOT SPEAKING OUT, YOU ARE JUST AS MUCH TO BLAME FOR THE POOR DOG'S SITUATION AND JUST AS ABUSIVE AS THE PERSON WHO DID THAT.

YOU ARE THE VOICE FOR THE VOICELESS!!!

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SPAY AND NEUTER STORY FOR KIDS.



I begin EVERY presentation like this.  Yes, it's strong, but with divorce running free, allowing the children to learn things at an inappropriate age, the video games the kids play today and the terrorism they've been introduced to, it is not more than they can handle.  From this point on, though, the presentation is much more positive and  lighter mood, petting dogs and presenting various ways to make sure that the students understand that they need to learn how to make the responsible decisions: the pets you have in your care remain in your care and receive all that they need - not just given what you think they should have .  A huge difference.

Hi, everyone,

Today we are going to talk about our pets and how we can help you to improve your ways and means of providing for them.  Let's begin with this puppy.  Isn't he cute?  Did you know we are going to kill this puppy today?  Yes, we kill puppies like this and as many as one thousand others each and every hour of the day - 365 days a year here in the US!!!   *wait for gasps*
   
  WHY?  Because adults still haven't been able to educate themselves on how to prevent this.  We believe you are smart enough to do just that.

Now, if you think that killing these dogs and cats every day of the year is wrong and you want to learn just how easy it is to put a stop to this nonsense, then you MUST pay attention and listen closely for the next    45 min and you can walk away from this presentation with the pride that you are more informed and compassionate than many of your parents.

Let's just assume for a moment that you are sitting with your pet at your side.    Look around at the room you are in.  You and your pet have plenty of room, right?  OK.  Now, lets assume that your pet has NOT been altered and has a littler of 7 babies.  There is still plenty of space in your room for you and your pet and the 7 babies, isn't there?  Likely enough food for everyone to be well fed, also.  And aren't the little babies cute!!!

hold up photo

Now, 6 months down the road,  all 7 of the babies are grown and THEY all have litters of 7 babies and your original pet is still not spayed or neutered so she also has another litter.  Now, right there in that very room you are in, you have 49 babies, plus 8 adults and yourself.  Getting a little crowded isn't it. Not to mention finding food for all of your little friends now, too.  Don''t forget cleaning up all their little messes, too.

OK, now in just one year from now,  you can expect this to happen AGAIN.  But this tine you have 49 litters of 7 babies each. That is 343 little babies to share your room with and find enough food for.  But wait. That is not all.  the 8 adults have all had ONE MORE LITTER OF 7 babies, too.  This adds 56 babies to the 343 = 399 pets you have to feed and shelter and all in the room you are sitting in.  And this is just one year from now.


In just seven years, one fertile intact dog or cat can be responsible for 50,000 - 60,000 offspring or babies.  There isn't' enough room in your room for that, now is there.  You couldn't even handle that many in your whole house or in all of your neighborhood.

You must realize that this is what is happening all around the world today with our pets.  We just have way too many of them and not nearly enough good homes, nor enough room or food to take care of them.  The only responsible thing to do with them is to kill them in a 'humane' or compassionate means - this is a shot that gently puts them to sleep and they just never wake up.  However you look at this it is killing them.    Healthy, young, loving animals that were only brought into this world in the first place because some adults refuse to have their pets spayed or neutered.  Their excuse, which is poor, at best, is that it's just not natural.  Do they really believe that?  Do they think what we are doing NOW IS NATURAL?

It is a decision that is made every day.  It is a problem that can stop. It can be corrected.  when you become an adult, you need to make better decisions than your parents have made  and do the right thing. 

Unfortunately, the unnecessary killing of dogs and cats who are otherwise happy and healthy and adoptable, takes place in every dog pound, animal shelter and humane society in the country every day.  It costs a lot of money to do this.  It makes the life that was granted us become less compassionate and takes the lives given to these animals and snuffs it out way too soon.

If you think for a minute that taking your pet dog or cat to the local    dog pound or so called ''Humane Society'' is going to find it another home, IT WILL NOT!!!!!  They only have 100 cages.  Each day they get 80 new dogs and cats.  So, they are forced to kill at least 80 of them each and every day whether they are good, bad, sick, old, aggressive or even puppies.  Not enough people go there to adopt.  More importantly, if you think you can find 'good' homes for these animals,by placing ads in the paper, that can even bring them more pain and suffering because so many people out there want to sell them to a dog  fighting ring (explain what ''bait'' is) or sell them to a research lab so they spend the rest of their lives hooked up to electric wires and get shocked every hour till they die.

This is just a perfect lesson of responsibility for young people your age.   You do love your pets.  Sometimes you don't' want to take the time to walk it or play with it, or clean up the yard after it, but that is part of life.  THERE IS ALWAYS going to be something you don't want to do, but you have to do it. So, as much as you may view your pet as being a burden occasionally, just remember that the pet will LOVE and ADORE you every moment of his or her life.  It's sad that they don't live as long as we do, but it's pretty clear why.  They already know how to give unconditional love.  Something that takes us humans 7 times longer to learn.  So, if we listen to their voices and try to understand their desires and needs,  it will make us better people and add new meaning to the phrase 'Man's Best Friend".

YOU CAN STOP THIS UNNECESSARY KILLING!!!!!. All it takes is making a responsible decision to do the right thing.

These animals are DYING for you to make the responsible decision.

 
Topics for discussion:

Begin your program here - remembering to hit on some very important points.

Dogs and cats can help lower your blood pressure, sniff you for epileptic seisures before they happen, guide the blind, alert their humans who are hearing impaired that someone is at the door or the phone is ringing, locate survivors after tragedies, improve the learning curves of those with autism and will be the BEST friend you'll ever have in your life.  They will love you unconditionally, protect you from harm, calm anxiety of pregnant women, help to build stronger immune systems in young children when kept inside the home at night and help build a more responsible young personality in your children. 

Yet we ignore their needs and wants from our own ignorance. When they act out to get our attention, we loose patience and dump them at the pound in the most callous of ways when they become a burden and then, they die.

An easy way to get your dog to do right doesn't always include training, but ALWAYS includes giving the dog all of what it needs instead of just what you want it to have or do. The gap between the two is monumental. Learn to distinguish the difference and you'll always have good dogs at your side and a good woman beside you for life.

* Importance of spaying and neutering before the age of 6 months.  No leg lifting,less likely to  run away, to bite, fight and contract testicular or vaginal cancer. Plus they won't have unwanted litters.

* The importance of proper ID on all pets i.e. July 4, Halloween, natural disaster, etc.

* The links between animal abuse at a young age and future criminal behavior and committing much greater crimes.

*Spend time discussing the benefits of community service involvement. ''DO NOT STAND IDLY BY AND ALLOW YOUR FAMILY, FRIENDS OR NEIGHBORS TO ABUSE, NEGLECT OR HAVE LITTERS OF PUPPIES AND KITTENS. Then discuss with them what they feel is abuse and neglect and make sure you fill in the blanks from what they have failed to mention.  Tying up on a short chain, not having proper vet care for ailments and injuries,  striking the young pet in an attempt to train them.

* The absolute EVIL and irresponsibility of having even one litter of puppies or kittens.  Put it into a business prospective.  If your company made widgets and every year for the past 50 yrs you've had an end  of year surplus of 8 million or more,  a business who plans to be successful and stay in business will stop making widgets next year,  Then they will review a viable plan to prevent this overage from ever happening again.

*The 'do's and don't' of having to part with a pet. First of all, you NEVER get a pet unless you are the owner of the property at which you reside.  Landlords are notorious for  deciding that they no longer want pets in the home you rent.  Boyfriends will decide they don't like your little cat and try to force you to get rid of it.  Be settled and stable before getting one. 

If you must part with your pet, do NOT take it to the dog pound. They will kill it the same day.  Do NOT put an ad on Craigslist for free dog or free cat.  Find a rescue org that will take it until it finds another forever and loving home.

The benefits of having your dog sleep inside the home at night. ( read up on this. There is NO reason to leave a dog outside at night and EVERY reason to bring it inside. Ignorance is the only difference from one home to the other. "If I'm a bad guy and want inside your home, I can slowly become friendly with it to gain it''s trust,  coax it out the gate and close it behind me - leaving it out and unable to help your family or poison the barking dog . If the same home and occupants has a dog INSIDE the home,  there isn't a robber or criminal in the world that's gonna try to come through that back door to do harm or take things not belonging to him.  Plus inside dogs are happier, healthier, cost less in vet bills, less likely to bite a visitor or fight with another dog while on a walk, help young kids learn to read, calm nerves of a pregnant woman, build self esteem in young people.   The 'outside' dog isn't the alarm you are told it is, it annoys the neighbors and if tied up on a chain for life, is literally being abused.

Benefits of starting with an adult dog from the pound and then getting a puppy at a later date since the BEST homes will have two dogs.  The adult dogs already house broken, leash trained or past their digging and chewing stages.  Then if you wish for a second dog, it can be a puppy that will quickly learn from the adult and keep each other company.

YOUR DOG WILL BE THE BEST FRIEND YOU'LL EVER HAVE IN YOUR LIFE.  DON'T GIVE UP ON THEM BECAUSE THEY WILL NEVER GIVE UP ON YOU.

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TWO INCREDIBLE STORIES BY JIM WILLIS - WORLD FAMOUS FOR HIS WRITINGS.

  Excerpt from Pieces of My Heart: Writings Inspired by Animals and Nature  
["How Could You?" is believed to be the most published animal-related essay in the world, now translated into 21 foreign languages. Everyone is encouraged to ask their local newspaper to publish it illustrated with photos from local animal shelters; a recent occurrence has been radio DJs reading it on the air and literally stopping traffic with their readings.]

"HOW COULD YOU?"
Copyright Jim Willis 2001

When I was a puppy I entertained you with my antics and made you laugh. You called me your child and despite a number of chewed shoes and a couple of murdered throw pillows, I became your best friend. Whenever I was "bad," you'd shake your finger at me and ask "How could you?" - but then you'd relent and roll me over for a bellyrub.
My housetraining took a little longer than expected, because you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together. I remember those nights of nuzzling you in bed, listening to your confidences and secret dreams, and I believed that life could not be any more perfect. We went for long walks and runs in the park, car rides, stops for ice cream (I only got the cone because "ice cream is bad for dogs," you said), and I took long naps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of the day.
Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your career, and more time searching for a human mate. I waited for you patiently, comforted you through heartbreaks and disappointments, never chided you about bad decisions, and romped with glee at your homecomings, and when you fell in love.
She, now your wife, is not a "dog person" - still I welcomed her into our home, tried to show her affection, and obeyed her. I was happy because you were happy. Then the human babies came along and I shared your excitement. I was fascinated by their pinkness, how they smelled, and I wanted to mother them, too. Only she and you worried that I might hurt them, and I spent most of my time banished to another room, or to a dog crate. Oh, how I wanted to love them, but I became a "prisoner of love."
As they began to grow, I became their friend. They clung to my fur and pulled themselves up on wobbly legs, poked fingers in my eyes, investigated my ears and gave me kisses on my nose. I loved everything about them and their touch - because your touch was now so infrequent - and I would have defended them with my life if need be.
I would sneak into their beds and listen to their worries and secret dreams. Together we waited for the sound of your car in the driveway. There had been a time, when others asked you if you had a dog, that you produced a photo of me from your wallet and told them stories about me. These past few years, you just answered "yes" and changed the subject. I had gone from being "your dog" to "just a dog," and you resented every expenditure on my behalf.
Now you have a new career opportunity in another city, and you and they will be moving to an apartment that does not allow pets. You've made the right decision for your "family," but there was a time when I was your only family. I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the animal shelter. It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness. You filled out the paperwork and said "I know you will find a good home for her." They shrugged and gave you a pained look. They understand the realities facing a middle-aged dog or cat, even one with "papers." You had to pry your son's fingers loose from my collar as he screamed "No, Daddy! Please don't let them take my dog!" And I worried for him, and what lessons you had just taught him about friendship and loyalty, about love and responsibility, and about respect for all life. You gave me a goodbye pat on the head, avoided my eyes, and politely refused to take my collar and leash with you. You had a deadline to meet and now I have one, too.
After you left, the two nice ladies said you probably knew about your upcoming move months ago and made no attempt to find me another good home. They shook their heads and asked "How could you?"
They are as attentive to us here in the shelter as their busy schedules allow. They feed us, of course, but I lost my appetite days ago. At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to the front, hoping it was you - that you had changed your mind - that this was all a bad dream...or I hoped it would at least be someone who cared, anyone who might save me. When I realized I could not compete with the frolicking for attention of happy puppies, oblivious to their own fate, I retreated to a far corner and waited.
I heard her footsteps as she came for me at the end of the day and I padded along the aisle after her to a separate room. A blissfully quiet room. She placed me on the table, rubbed my ears and told me not to worry. My heart pounded in anticipation of what was to come, but there was also a sense of relief. The prisoner of love had run out of days. As is my nature, I was more concerned about her. The burden which she bears weighs heavily on her and I know that, the same way I knew your every mood.
She gently placed a tourniquet around my foreleg as a tear ran down her cheek. I licked her hand in the same way I used to comfort you so many years ago. She expertly slid the hypodermic needle into my vein. As I felt the sting and the cool liquid coursing through my body, I lay down sleepily, looked into her kind eyes and murmured "How could you?"
Perhaps because she understood my dogspeak, she said "I'm so sorry." She hugged me and hurriedly explained it was her job to make sure I went to a better place, where I wouldn't be ignored or abused or abandoned, or have to fend for myself - a place of love and light so very different from this earthly place. With my last bit of energy, I tried to convey to her with a thump of my tail that my "How could you?" was not meant for her. It was you, My Beloved Master, I was thinking of. I will think of you and wait for you forever.
May everyone in your life continue to show you so much loyalty.

--From Pieces of My Heart: Writings Inspired by Animals and Nature, by Jim Willis. © January 2002 , Infinity Publishing used by permission. 

*********************************************

   "FREE KITTUNS"    
 By Jim Willis

The sign on the mailbox post was hand lettered on cardboard and read " FREE KITTUNS". It appeared there two or three times a year, sometimes spelled this way, sometimes that, but the message was always the same.
In a corner of the farmhouse back porch was a cardboard box with a dirty towel inside, on which huddled a bouquet of kittens of different colors, mewing and blinking and waiting for their mama to return from hunting in the fields. The mother cat managed to show them enough interest for the first several weeks, but after having two or three litters per year, she was worn ot and her milk barely lasted long enough for her babies to survive.
One by one, people showed up over the next several days and each took a kitten. Before they left, the woman who lived there always said the same thing. "You make sure you give that one a good home ‘cause I’ve become very attached to that one.
One by one, the kittens and their new people drove down the long driveway and past the sign on the mailbox post that read "Free Kittuns".
The ginger gir kitten was the first to be picked. Her four year old owner loved her very much, but the little girl accidentally injured the kitten’s shoulder by picking her up the wrong way. She couldn’t be blamed really – no adult had shown her the proper way to handle a kitten. She had named the kitten GINGER and was very sad a few weeks later when her older brother and his friends were playing in the living room and someone sat on the kitten.
The solid white boy kitty with blue eyes was the next to leave with a couple who announced even before they went down the porch steps that his name would be SNOWY. Unfortunately, he never learned his name and everyone had paid so little attention to him that nobody realized e was deaf. On his first excursion outside he was run over in the driveway by a mail truck.
The pretty gray and white girl kitten went to live on a nearby farm as a ‘mouser’ Her people called her ‘the cat’ and like her mother and grandmother before her, she had many many ‘free kittuns’ but they sapped her energy. She became ill and died before her current litter of kittens were weaned.
Another brother was a beautiful red tabby. His owner loved him so much that she took him around to meet everyone in the family and her friends, and their cats, and everyone agreed that ‘ERIK" was a handsome boy. Except his owner didn’t bother to have him vaccinated. IT took all the money in her bank account to pay a veterinarian to treat him when he became sick, but the doctor just shook his head one day and said, "I’m sorry".
The solid black boy kitten grew up to be a fine example of a tomcat. The man TOMMY where he was, roaming the neighborhood, defending his territory, and fathering many kittens until a bully of a dog cornered him.
The black and white girl kitten got a wonderful home. She was named "PEYEWACKET" She got the best of food and the best of care until she was nearly five years old. Then her owner met a man who didn’t like cats, but she married him anyway. Peywacket was taken to an animal shelter where there were already hundreds of cats. Then one day there were none.
A pretty woman driving a van took the last two kittens, a gray boy and a brown tiger-striped girl. She promised they would always stay together. She sold them for $50 each to a research laboratory. To this day, they are still together as promised …. In a jar of alcohol.. side by side on a shelf.
For whatever reason --- because Heaven is in a different time zone, or because not even cat souls can be trusted to travel in a straight line without meandering – all the young-again kittens arrived at Heaven’s gate simultaneously. They batted and licked each other in glee, romped for a while and then solemnly marched through the gate, right past a sign lettered in GOLD: "YOU ARE FINALLY FREE,... KITTENS."