contributed by April Peiffer
Let’s talk about shelters versus pounds. Shelter, as a noun, is defined as a place giving temporary protection from bad weather or danger. As a verb, it means to protect or shield from something harmful, especially bad weather.
A pound is a warehouse for animals where, sadly, many go to die.
THE WILCO DIFFERENCE
We don’t have pounds in Williamson County. We have shelters, and it is important to understand the key differences between the two. At shelters, animals are cared for, treated as individuals with unique needs, and they are typically loved and tended to in the same manner as our own pets.
My senior foster dog, Dave Grohl, died while napping in my office. I believe one of the reasons he ended up with me is because some don’t understand the full nature of our mission; we are here to help people and their pets.
Dave’s owners might have brought him to us a few months earlier in his health transition (we don’t know for sure how long he was in need) for a better outcome. Perhaps he was too ill for their resources or willingness to manage the problems but, at the shelter, we might have been able to help him through whatever illness it was that ultimately contributed to his demise.
He had severe matting that had to be cut away with surgical knives and a wound that exposed a bone in his leg, which was also covered in maggots when it was revealed. He also was unable to walk when he arrived. Had he been brought to us sooner, rather than crated permanently, we might have been able to provide appropriate care to help him live out his senior years in the comfort and peace we want for all of our pets.
SHELTER AND LOVE
Shelters provide the kind of respite for animals that people can’t or won’t take care of anymore. Staff are not concerned about the “why”; but prefer to simply give those animals a safe place to hopefully wait for a loving hew home.
The bottom line is that Shelters are not Pounds. When you see people talking about “the pound” here in Central Texas, it’s important to educate them. Because we are not a bad place.
Dave Grohl deserved to live his last few years in comfort and peace and I wanted to give that to him in whatever way I could. We tried all we could try but, inevitably, I made the decision that we would let him go peacefully because he was suffering. His little body finally is able to rest. He was a good boy, and I am so sad that we didn’t get him here sooner so we could maybe fix him.
Rest in peace, Dave. You were a very good boy.