Hurts So Good

I am a Craigslist troller.  I scroll up and down, city after city, for free things I don’t need and ‘for sale’ things I do, but still can’t afford to buy.  However, I almost ALWAYS end up in the “lost and found” or pets section.  Not because it’s fun. It’s not.  Not because it makes me feel good. It doesn’t. My boyfriend, Trey, has walked in and caught me countless times, depressed and saddened from something I’m reading or watching, and always says, “Why do you do this to yourself?” My answer is always this - because it reminds me of the atrocities that are out there in Charlotte, Houston, Sacramento, the world.  Because it makes me feel the hurt that is necessary if I want to make it in the animal rescue world.   Folks, keep this in mind: It is necessary for your heart to hurt in this business.  It’s what drives the passion.

Generic picture of a chained pitbull - the sadness and misery
in their face and body language speak volumes.

November 23, 2011 - Greensboro, NC (but could be Anywhere, USA): Female Pit Bull: 14 years old , has had 11 litters , she produces well. most likely has a few more litters in her . a real money maker . she still looks good overall , has one eye and a sagging stomach . you could get her a tummy tuck and she will be good to go .her fee is 500.00 . Thanks

One eye? Tummy tuck? This baby belongs cuddled up in a warm house on a Temperpedic dog bed to alleviate the pressure on her sore and arthritic joints, offered regular warm meals for her deteriorating teeth and even some yummy table scraps from the kids that use her as a pillow for their living room sleepovers.  

 I’m not sadistic, but I force myself to read, look at, and watch things like this frequently.  If I don’t know the things that occur and are happening right here in my backyard, how can I be any help?  No one got anywhere in life by keeping their head in the sand.  Does ignorance lead to change? No.  I am not stupid enough to believe that stricter laws will bring dog fighting or backyard breeding to an end.  Criminals fight dogs. Criminals also break laws. They don’t give a shit about statute 3950042, section 2929405.  No.  Regular, law-abiding citizens like myself will bring change. Maybe not in my lifetime, but dammit, I will be a part of it.  I will help to end this abuse and prejudice.  I will foster, I will advocate, I will stand at rallies at town hall to support the banning of gas chambers in animal shelters, I will call the dog fighting tip line when I see shady activity, I will educate people that I come across that have preconceived notions about the dog on the end of my leash before even meeting them for 2 minutes, I will tell people that I have a PIT BULL, not a lab mix and I will not shy away from the negativity. I will stand up, embrace it and intelligently prove them wrong.  Things won’t change unless the outcry is loud enough to drown out everyone else.  Stand with us.  If you’d like to help in any way, please email me at shana@carebullies.org.  We need each and every one of you.

To quote a fantastic article I read earlier, “In a hundred years, the pit bull has gone from national hero to unpredictable monster, and the dogs are still the same. We’re the ones who have changed.”  There will always be bad people, cruel individuals and terrifying stories of abuse at the hands of humans.  With the tenacity and passion that we dog owners love and embrace, we can turn this thing around.  Good outlasts evil; slow and steady wins the race.