by Carole Raphaelle Davis
You might think Jinky’s story is fluffy and cute, but what compelled me to write it is an ongoing tragedy. I feel as though Jinky is speaking through me, trying to let you know that millions of companion animals are killed in the shelter system, on the streets, and in laboratories every year.
The situation is urgent.
Right now, millions of dogs are abandoned, alone, and afraid. They did nothing to deserve their fate, and all they want is someone to love who will treat them with kindness. These defenseless animals are going to die this year and every year unless we take action.
What can we do? A lot.
• Next time, don’t buy a pet. Adopt. Buying a pet only perpetuates an industry that creates millions of surplus pets for profit.
• Spay or neuter your companion animal.
• Give to rescue organizations.
• Volunteer at your local rescue organization.
• Get involved in the political process and make sure your representatives in government are aware that their constituents (you) want them to work on legislation that abolishes animal cruelty.
• Report animal cruelty to the police. It’s a crime.
If you want a specific breed, you can go to Google.com and type in the name of the breed followed by the word rescue. Or you can go to Petfinder.com and do a search by breed. You can find anything you want because, guess what? Purebred or mutt, someone else’s "garbage" might end up being your best friend.
Personally, I think mutts are the cutest, the smartest, and the healthiest, but I love my Finley and she’s a pure Cairn terrier who is "show quality." Being a show-quality Cairn didn’t save her from abandonment, though. Somebody spent over $1,000 to buy her as a puppy and then they dumped her.
Don’t listen to all that baloney about not knowing what you’re getting when you don’t buy a puppy. Hogwash. It’s the same as with people. Did you choose all your friends when they were infants? Must you know someone as a baby to love him today? No, you either click or you don’t. When you go to meet a potential four-legged friend at a shelter, you see if you click and then everything else can be worked out with a little time, patience, and understanding. After a few weeks, you will bond like Krazy Glue.
Remember that puppies become dogs in a couple of months.
Many of the dogs in the shelters are there because people bought an expensive purebred 2-month-old and ended up not liking what they got. That animal might be perfect for you!
Imagine if something happened to you and your beloved dog was alone in the world. What would happen to him? Unless you’re one of the few who have made arrangements, he’d end up in a shelter, dependent on the kindness of strangers. What if he wasn’t a puppy anymore? Does that make him less valuable? I think we get better as we get older – we get smarter and deeper. I might not command the same salary on the market as an actress any more and I’m too old to enter a beauty contest but I’m a better companion now. The same goes for pets.
For those who want to show their children "the miracle of life" by breeding their own dog, I say the other miracle, the end result of the "miracle of life," is the miracle of death. A more valuable lesson about animals is the one about responsible pet guardianship and about what happens to all those puppies when they get dumped. It’s a miracle if they survive.
If you want a pet but think you don’t have time for one, remember that the one who is out of time is the one in the cage at the pound, with hours to live before being put down. He will be happy just to have a loving home. You can always get somebody to walk your dog while you are at work.
And if you think you have no space because you live in an apartment, remember that many dogs live out their sad lives chained to a fence in a big yard. A pet is happy in a studio apartment if you love him and exercise him every day. Some very big people live in tiny apartments. Go for a nice long walk – it’ll be good for both of you.
If you’ve already rescued an animal, then you and I are on the same page. We are part of a surging tide of change, saving one animal at a time and enriching our lives by the meaningful connection we make with others who rescue. We are a community and we are never alone.
Jinky gave me more than I ever imagined. He’s taught me about joy, spontaneity, compassion, and commitment. He makes me laugh, he makes me cry, and he makes me happy. He taught me the secret to a satisfying life- enthusiasm! And to think that somebody beat him up and dumped him makes me really mad. He was thrown out like garbage and left to die at the pound.
Look at him now.
Jinky is the underdog – he’s also the everydog. There are millions of Jinkys shivering in cages right now waiting for your love.
Go get one.
Excerpted from The Diary of Jinky: Dog of a Hollywood Wife as told to Carole Raphaelle Davis (Andrews McMeel Publishing)
