I was told once by someone I admire within our animal welfare world to always try to keep your articles positive. Don't drag down the public too much, they do not want to be depressed, or have you make them sad.
When you ask for help too much, people turn away,
when you try too hard to make people feel emotion, they shut down.
It is the way of many people.
So I have tried not to do too much of either of these things, while at the same time giving you the information that you need to know, and giving you the experiences that I wanted you to feel. This one is from the heart, unadulterated and unremorseful.
We are drowning in cats and kittens. It feels like a ship going under with no chance of rescue.
The stress on animals and staff is palpable. The shelter is inundated with tiny meowing little bodies and quiet, watchful older cats. All 100 of them.
Every space, every corner, every wall occupied by bundles of life who did not ask to be born nor abandoned.
Our path in the realm of animal welfare was not to put down beautiful healthy animals because of either lack of space or the expiration of a time restriction.
Only three years ago that was still being done, a barbaric and cruel mode of operandi.
The Saving Lives Policy is the core of our function. No animal will be put down through lack of space or time.
We will never return to those dark days. The public's contribution in following this humane path is to adopt.
Without this act of kindness from your family, we can not operate as effectively as we need to, and our animals spend far too long in cramped conditions.
Please help us - adopt a new member of the family.
Nicolle Smith is the animal education officer for the Tauranga SPCA.
