by Suzyn Barron, President of Warwick Valley Humane Society, Inc.
Did you know, you can clone your pet so you can have an exact copy of your beloved companion? Of course, “besides being expensive, risky and unethical, there are the scientific and moral issues behind the process of creating genetic doubles of a pet”, so says smithsonianmag.com. Yet, some people choose to adopt a replica of their former animal. It’s one thing to have a love for a certain breed and their personality traits thereby ending up with a duplicate in looks. And quite another when the choice is based on a lookalike alone. Take for instance the recent adoption of a 4 month old female brown tabby. Hazel was the last of her trio of sisters to be adopted by a couple who wanted her because she looked exactly like their prior cat. Only Hazel, even though she is a very outgoing, confident, super playful, holds her own kind of kitten, was brought home and in a mere three days introduced to the dog in the house when she had never been around dogs. Sadly, Hazel was returned after those three days for biting the dog and the people. Hazel and her sisters were raised at the shelter and handled by all staff and not once did she become aggressive. Upon adoption the staff always shares whatever information we have learned about the pet to prospective adopters and reiterates the importance of giving the pet time to acclimate to the new surroundings and the new humans and other animals in the home. Unfortunately this didn’t happen for little Hazel.
The couple was used to their adult cat and expected the kitten to be just like her. Everyone knows that kittens have a lot more energy than an adult cat who spends up to 16 hours a day sleeping. Looking like a former pet has nothing to do with personality.
Everyone loves a puppy but based on the high number of surrender calls we and other shelters receive for young dogs when the thrill and cuteness has worn off or the breed’s traits have developed and are undesirable. Such as the nipping of Aussies or Border Collies and the exuberance of Pitbulls, the protectiveness of Rotties and Shepherds and the difficulty of housetraining small breeds. Who will adopt a 15lb 8 year old dog that the family can no longer deal with because he won’t housetrain? Or better yet, why not commit a crime and bring your unwanted dog to the closed shelter in the early dawn, set up a crate just outside the door, put your dog inside the crate and drive away? Did he get too big? Does he lack training that you failed to provide? Is there a family situation that caused you to abandon your dog? Do you just not want him anymore? Questions we may never have answers to. No doubt he was once a very cute puppy. Now he is a very big guy with a wrinkled brow wondering what he did wrong to end up at the shelter. Hazel and The Dog with No Name deserve better.
Pet of the Week:
Adoption applications are available at wvhumane.org or call 845-986-2473 for more information.
