Be The Change for Companion Animals

Many of us have heard the Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi quote that reads, “you must be the change you wish to see in the world.” This phrase no doubt means different things to many people. For some, it means that in order to bring about positive change in the world, we must live our values through our actions. This philosophy goes to the heart of this web site and is the basis for the name of the site; a reflective "pause" for change. (A cheesy play on words? Yes.) None of us as individual has to power to change our society as a whole but when we strive to “be the change” we wish to see through our decisions and our actions, there is strength in numbers. The values of any society are rarely thrust upon the people; they come from the people. They are fluid and ever-changing as a society evolves.

So. How can you be the change you wish to see in the world as it relates to companion animals? You do so through your choices and your actions. They reflect your values.

ADOPT or RESCUE your next companion animal. Although many people have come to believe that shelter and rescue animals are somehow "damaged," that is rarely the case. The truth is that most of them are simply homeless and are victims of our poor choices. If you have your heart set on a particular breed for some reason, there’s nothing wrong with that. Seek out a breed specific rescue group or just a specific breed of animal using petfinder.com or a comparable web site. There are countless reputable breeders across our country, many of which breed animals for the sheer love of the breed and to perpetuate breed standards. If you’re considering buying an animal, however, ask yourself this: do I really need to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a companion animal when I can save a life instead?

SPAY and NEUTER your pets. Many people are surprised to learn the health benefits of having companion animals fixed, not the least of which is an extended life span. If you’ve ever lost a beloved companion animal to age or disease, you know the heartbreak of that loss. Given the choice, would you add years to your pet’s life if you could and keep them healthier? You can through spay and neuter.

LEARN the real reasons behind dog aggression and about how to keep your family safe. When you hear of incidents when a dog has injured a person and the incident is described as “unprovoked,” that is rarely a true statement as far as the dog is concerned. Absent some cognitive problem or a history of abuse and neglect, most dogs only exhibit aggressive behavior when they have been provoked in some way of which the human involved in the incident may not even be aware. No breed of dog is inherently aggressive; it’s all about how they’re treated by us whether the dog is a Doxie or a Rottie.

SPEAK OUT about issues which relate to companion animals in your community and your state. If you oppose Breed Specific Legislation, let those in positions of authority know how you feel. If you believe the best way to reduce the population of feral cats is through Trap-Neuter-Return programs, support those programs in your own neighborhoods. If you believe that the animal shelters in your community which operate using your tax dollars and donations are not doing all they can to save lives, speak up. Only when you make it clear that you value the lives of homeless animals will those lives become a priority. Life saving doesn’t mean spending more money in a community and it often saves taxpayer dollars.

SUPPORT local rescue groups and national animal advocacy groups the focus of which are saving lives. There are many multimillion dollar organizations in our society which put themselves forth as being advocates for companion animals but if you look at their funding or how they operate, you may find that your donations are used primarily to fund salaries and marketing while none of your money is actually used to rescue or save animals. You may also find that the organization either has no physical facility in which animals are housed or that the vast majority of the animals housed by the organization are destroyed.

If you want to help the cause by making a tax deductible donation, you can do so right where you live or to any nonprofit across the country which is actively involved in being the change such as National Mill Dog Rescue, Dogs Deserve Better, Alley Cat Allies or the No Kill Advocacy Center, among many others. If you cannot donate money, you can always donate your time by volunteering at a local no kill shelter or with a local rescue group. You can also donate common items you may have in your home which you no longer use such as old towels, old blankets, newspaper, used dog or cat beds, etc.