Shelters do so much for us all!
In the previous entry, I talked about legislation not supported by the HSUS (Humane Society of the United States) that was trying to outlaw specific breeds of dogs. The HSUS clearly stated the very often the “bad behavior” of the dog is tied to many other factors than breed. One of the main factors is how the animal is treated by the owner. If the dogs are mistreated, improperly socialized or lack obedience training, there could be severe behavioral problems.
Many types of education programs have been put into place to help people learn the proper care and treatment of animals. So many of these educational programs are run by local animal shelters. In addition to the devoted care they give to so many orphaned animals, they also serve as a public service agency, dispensing valuable information and educational tools.
Our local shelter, The DCSPCA (Dutchess County SPCA) offers a program called PAWS. Humane Law Enforcement Officers go into local schools and work with the children to teach them the proper care and treatment of animals. The program teaches children the value of owning and caring for a pet as well as the importance of that pet in the family. This is a major step towards eliminating animal abuse. With any situation, the more edcuation available, the better the results will be.
Everyone can benefit from owning a pet, especially children. Those who have dogs show greater sense of responsibility, empathy, loyalty and a respect for helpless animals that rely on us for their care everyday. An additional childhood benefit was found through a study in England in 2002 that children with a pet at home have a better immune system than children with no pets and on average children with pets were out of school 9 days less than children without pets!!!
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