ABSTRACT
It was a dark, stormy night when my life was transformed. I wasn’t planning on such a dramatic event, only a warm bowl of soup and watching my favorite TV show. But life had a different idea when I found a stray dog wandering in the rain. I stopped, put him in the car and took him home. He was a black chow-mix, very matted and thin. He was alone, soaking wet and afraid. I called my local animal shelter, and they advised me to search for the owner. I put up lost dog signs in the area and continued to contact the shelter to see if the owner called. Nobody called. I couldn’t keep him as it was a violation to my lease and thus had no choice but to take him to the shelter. I’d never been inside a shelter before, and I was horrified. It was dark, damp and noisy. I was riddled with guilt, but the staff assured me they’d find him a loving home. But the truth is, they didn’t, they euthanized him. They told me they simply did not have the space, that it was a hard decision to make, but one they must make on a regular basis. This was an eye-opening experience for me and led to my interest in learning about the plight of pet animals as well as farm animals and wildlife. I had found my calling—animal protection—and have never looked back.
