Friday, September 5, 2008

Unwanted


Take a good look at the picture above. The moment I took this picture I knew it never had a chance of making it into print. These are the unwanted and stray animals at the Tracy Animal Shelter that never found a new home.

They meet a very unceremonious end. A drug ends their life; the carcasses are stored in barrels in a freezer until a truck arrives once a week to take their bodies to a landfill.

It’s a cold hard fact that at the cramped quarters of the shelter an animal only has so much time before it is put down to make room for the next arrivals. No one wants to see them die but it becomes a numbers game.

I went to the shelter today to take a more palatable photo for an editorial on the shelters plight. I walked the shelter kennels and found a series of sad faces waiting for anew home. I wonder how many will survive.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

God, I wish they would have printed that picture! If that doesn't drive the City to expand the shelter I don't know what will. "A picture says a thousand words...."

Anonymous said...

That just broke my heart once I realized what was happening. Now I need to go save at least one of their lil lives. I think these pix and story should be told ! Maybe then more people would want to help by adopting or donating at least... and yes, push to expand the shelter ! That is too sad.

Anonymous said...

This is absolutely awful and I used to volunteer out there. My Mom, My Sister and myself used to run the local "Santa Paws" event in Tracy to help raise money for the Animal Shelter and Tracy PD's K9 Unit. Be sure that I am going to spread the word on this because as a fellow animal lover, something needs to be done.

Anonymous said...

OH MY GOD!!!

What is happening in "OUR TOWN" that this has to CONTINUE!!!?...I have fought very hard for years so this type of thing does not happen.
It breaks my heart that these precious lives have come to such a tragic end!!! This city needs to do "SOMETHING"!!!
Why can't this picture be posted? I have to ask!
A picture showing this... "The Proof" of what really goes on out there in the end... would surely get the much needed attention & maybe...just maybe... The "NEEDED SUPPORT" of this community and put the pressure on the city officials so this does not have to continue!!!
Maybe if enough people really saw the harsh reality of what, is what out there...The city could then focus on a "LARGER SHELTER"...with "A NO KILL POLICY"!!!
Lots of cities have them...why not ours!!!?

I believe if enough people saw what really happens to these poor animals...they may not be so quick to turn away!!! So I think it should be shown!!!
Sincerely,
A Broken Heart
Tracy,Ca.