Disposable Dogs

 I've come to the conclusion that the janitorial field is probably the most thankless profession on this planet.  How many times have you been to a movie and left your candy wrappers and empty popcorn box strewn across the floor, only to convince yourself that it's someone Else's problem?  After all, you paid for your ticket and over priced snacks, so why should you clean up after yourself? Somebody actually gets paid to clean this mess up, right? So just let them deal with it and be on your merry way.

 According the the Humane Society, it's estimated that 3-4 million cats and dogs are euthanized every year. Ouch.  The sheer volume alone is staggering and quite frankly, enough to make any animal lover cringe.  Although Jindos account for a fairly small percentage of these deaths, their numbers are growing alongside with negligent breeding practices.  What point do we have to reach for society to wake up and realize that this massive animal problem is truthfully, a problem that is perpetuated by people?

We currently have a multitude of resources that provide affordable spay/neuter services as well as several adoption and rescue agencies;  So why are so many innocent animals being left to die at such an exponential rate?  The most obvious culprits are the irresponsible, backyard breeders and puppy mills, who are quick to make a buck at the expense of the treatment and welfare of their animals.  Dogs are a mere commodity, and in the same fashion as agriculture, they are grown and harvested until they can be sold at market price.  But ultimately, aren't they merely satisfying the demand of the public and exploiting a lucrative market?  The simple truth is that we've become a society that often acts on impulse and rarely deals with the consequences of our actions.  Our desire for the perfect, purebred companion is an integral part of what drives this industry of cruelty and waste, and much like the popcorn on the floor, we wash our hands, walk away and convince ourselves that it's someone Elses' problem. 

Enter the our handy "janitors" of the new millennium.  They are battling in the trenches daily, doing the dirty work of saving these disposable dogs and usually, they do it on their own dime. Thankless hours of visiting shelters, behavior assessments, photographing and posting listings in hopes of giving another living creature a chance at a better life.  They are dedicated and true, sending out a distress signal on the behalf of millions of animals that perish each year in our shelters.  I've recently caught wind of a "janitor" that works at a local,  pristine metro park with a dirty little secret.  It seems that people have chosen this family oriented park and recreation area to dispose of their unwanted dogs.  Imagine the excitement and enthusiasm of the dog who gets to join his family for a fun day at the park.  He'll joyfully walk along his favorite path by the lake in a carefree bliss, unaware that this will be the last time he'll ever see his beloved family again.  Soon he'll be tied to a tree or bush, eagerly awaiting the return of his master, but for some reason his master does not return.  By nightfall he's thirsty and tired.  Desperation and panic sets in, and as he hears the howls of the nearby coyotes closing in, he violently tries to free himself from his collar.  Exhausted and defeated, he is finally picked up by the janitor, making her rounds and bringing these disposable dogs to safety.  She's been rescuing local animals for years and although we haven't met, I'd somehow like to tell her one day how much I appreciate everything that she's done for us. I want to thank her for displaying a generosity and kindness that we all could learn from. Because after working her full time 40 hour week, she's out there moonlighting as a janitor, cleaning up our unwanted, forgotten mess.  She's moving under the radar, searching in the night for our disposable dogs.