thePULSEBy Tine Roycroft
We all know that there’s an epidemic in the US (and around the world, for that matter!) of unwanted, abandoned, mistreated, and homeless animals ~ innocent animals who really just want a forever family and home ~ and as the economy makes life tougher for us, so too does it make it harder on our four-legged friends. It’s easy to consider these animals someone else’s problem ~ but it’s almost as easy to donate a bit of cash, or some of your time ~ or better yet, both ~ to help give them a better life.
Worcester Animal Rescue League
Allie Tellier, Executive Director of the Worcester Animal Rescue League, has seen how the badly the economy has affected families and their pets firsthand.
“Going on three years now, we’ve seen a downturn in the number of adoptions and it’s all due to the economy. More people are needing to surrender their pets or are abandoning their pets as their living situations are changing ~ they’re moving into places that don’t allow pets or their homes are being foreclosed upon and they feel that there’s nothing they can do for their pets,” she says. 
Some of the pets waiting to be adopted have been at the shelter for as long as 18 months. But this non-profit, no-kill shelter that works 100% off of donations isn’t ready to give up hope. Tellier and her team stay dedicated to each pet that scurries through their doors.
“Regardless of their age or breed ~ if they’ve got three legs, one eye, whatever! We love them and we’re here for them,” says Tellier.
Recently, the shelter saw yet another happy ending. Milky is a 15 year-old cat whose family surrendered her in preparation for a move. Cats are typically easier to place in foster homes because they are often smaller and rather independent. But most people are looking for kittens. Luckily, Milky’s story’s was featured in the shelter’s e-newsletter and a gentleman came into the shelter, looking for an older cat.
“When he met Milky, she leaned her head against his hand, then he stroked her,” says Tellier. “Then she swatted at him and he said ‘OK, come on. You’re coming home with me.’”
The Worcester Animal Rescue League turns 100 next year. Celebrate them and their work with monetary donations or by volunteering. For more information, go to www.worcester-arl.org.
Sterling Animal Shelter
Leigh Grady of Sterling Animal Shelter knows just how amazing the pet/human bond can be. Like WARL, this no-kill shelter has also seen a rise in the number of abandoned and surrendered pets in this difficult economy. But the stories of perseverance and love continue on even in the face of adversity.
“We had a young girl come to the shelter and her grandmother had custody of her because she was being abused by her parents. We had a small dog that was also abused sometime during his short life,” Grady remembers. “No one could even get near him because he’d been so traumatized. We told them not to enter the pen but 5 minutes later, after helping other adopters, we found the dog curled up on the little girl’s lap ~ sleeping. It was like they had a deep connection and understood each other on a level no one else could imagine. It was a happy ending and that was a touching moment for all of us.”
Grady also shared a story of a woman who had adopted a dog from Sterling Animal Shelter and was then faced with an emotionally tragic period in her life. At her lowest point, she was about to commit suicide when, according to her, her adopted dog crawled up on the bed next to her and pawed at her as if to say, “No, don’t do it.”
The Sterling Animal Shelter is always in need of volunteers to take care of a variety of tasks ~ from bathing puppies to becoming foster pet parents. You can donate online or attend their upcoming 5th Annual Walk for Whiskers in June 2012. For more info, visit www.sterlingshelter.org.
