The Tear Stained Path

Thousands of years ago, at the dawn of recorded history, early man formed a pact with the predecessors of our modern domestic dogs. It wasn'’t the sort of document that was written on a parchment scroll or bound in leather volumes on the walls of the court. The pact in question was one that was written on our very souls. This pact worked to the benefit of both the parties Involved. Our early canine companions received food, shelter, and the promise of a safe loving home.

In return they provided us with labor, companionship, and most importantly, unqualified love. Very few of our modern domestic dog breeds still resemble those brave pioneers who mankind first encountered. Countless generations of selective breeding have made our modern dogs almost unrecognizable to those who came before them. Over the years they have become our hunters, guardians, and in many cases, our treasured companions. They watch over our stock and protect our homes from invaders.

Dogs have learned to not only share our lives but to enrich them as well. All of various breeds, however, share most of the same qualities that long ago bonded our two species. Our four legged friends view each and every one of us, as we should all learn to view each other… without judgment or bias. Canines have held true to these ideals throughout the centuries in spite of many hardships and trials. Only on mans part has the original promise been allowed to fade….

Each year, in the United States alone, we kill well over 7 million dogs. Most of them for crimes no more serious than simply being born. Each and every one of them are blessed with the potential to change some ones life for the better. To most people these numbers are no more than a sad fact of life. An abstract concept that’s best forgotten. Even on those rare occasions when the situation does touch our lives directly we rationalize it to distance ourselves from its true impact.

Imagine, if you will, the pain of losing a loved one to an easily avoided tragedy. Even the most jaded of us will agree that it’s not a very pleasant thought. Now imagine, if you can, that it was happening to you on a daily basis. This is just a small part of what shelter workers all over the country face each and every day. This article is dedicated to those caring few who stand shivering, waste deep, in freezing water with their fingers in the dike.

Living with the constant sadness of failure in the hopes of reliving those few special moments of success. The sad fact of the tragic results of the overpopulated pet trade is not something that has been made up or exaggerated in an effort to illicit a response. It’s as real as the fact that the sun will rise in the morning.

Over 26,000 puppies are born, on average, each and every day in the United States alone. Not only is the problem a tragic and very real one but its a problem that is growing worse with each passing year. We shield ourselves from it in many ways. Perhaps the worst method of all is deciding in our own minds that there is nothing we can do about it. We bury our heads in the sand and let others deal with a problem that, in many cases, we have helped to create.

A large part of the problem can be explained by human nature. Few of us realize that we do not own the world we live in but are, in fact, only it’s caretakers. Everything we do effects the world around us. Even the simplest of daily decisions can have far reaching effects on the animals we share our planet with. Most of us are so wrapped up in the daily task of making a living that we have little time left to consider the fate of others.

Most of the population is living in a self imposed state of denial. Everyone tends to view the world only from the stand point of how it directly effects their daily lives. We have moved away from the days of taking responsibility for our own actions. It’s become all too easy for us to blame others for the troubles of our world. Life has grown so complex that its simple to find a perspective that matches our own viewpoint.

Organizations all over the world have taken on the noble and daunting task of giving a voice to our canine companions. Together, they fight a holding action against the forces of human nature and outright greed. Unfortunately, as with many of our endeavors, we often lose sight of the ultimate goal. The larger the organizations become, the more prone they are to the danger of stagnation. The group itself becomes more important than the reason it was first created.