Dear Barb:
Every Sunday morning my husband and I go to our local Humane Society and walk the dogs. Humane Societies across the country are full of unwanted dogs and It’s very disturbing to walk through the pound and see these poor abandoned dogs begging for your love and attention. I have a friend who adopts dogs and, when they grow out of the puppy stage, finds a reason to get rid of them. Why do people do this? I have discussed this with my friend, even suggested they come to the Humane Society with me to see what happens to dogs after they are abandoned. It is an eye opening experience. Karyn
Hi Karyn:
I agree taking a walk through your local Humane Society will definitely provide a different perspective and perhaps cause a person to think twice before bringing home a puppy or kitten. I checked some statistics from the website of The Canadian Federation of Humane Societies and they’re alarming. According to 2013 statistics, Canadian Shelters accepted 103,000 cats and 46,000 dogs and this is a significant decrease over the previous year. Often the dogs and cats are surrendered because they have behaviour problems. Rather than taking the time to fix the problem the owners get rid of the pet. The bad behaviour is then so ingrained in the animal by the time they are surrendered that there is no other option but to put them down. I agree with you, Karyn, people need to visit their local humane society and then carefully consider whether they really want to adopt a pet. Also spay and neuter your pets so this epidemic will not continue. Thanks Karyn for addressing this important issue.
Dear Barb:
I have friends on facebook who like and share everything that comes across their page. Often items will conflict with each other. For example, recently individuals have been posting about the Syrian refugees, one post is sympathetic to their plight and another one says we don’t want them coming to our country. I wish people would pay attention to what they are posting! Monica
Hey Monica:
Excellent point! I agree. Facebook users need to pay attention to what they are posting. Many of these posts are racist and since we all have friends of various cultural backgrounds, we need to be careful not to offend. Also Facebook users who are reading your page may form opinions about you from your posts. As well, if a potential employer decided to check out your page and it contains questionable or racy topics this could seriously impact your chances of obtaining a position within that company. A good rule is to not post anything about any race, minority, or political events. Also, personal information should be shared through private chat, not on your public Facebook page. If you want to avoid uncomfortable situations, keep your posts light and impersonal! Another great question, thanks for sharing Monica.
Email your questions to voice@voicemagazine.org. Some submissions may be edited for length or to protect confidentiality; your real name and location will never be printed. This column is for entertainment only. The author is not a professional counsellor and this column is not intended to take the place of professional advice.
