I adopted your dog today
Thanks to our friends at Dogster for posting this poem (author unknown). It carries an
important message about our roles as stewards of creation -- and the benefits of adopting unwanted pets from your local shelter or rescue groups.
It's called I Adopted Your Dog Today:
I adopted your dog today
The one you left at the pound
The one you had for seven years
and no longer wanted around.
I adopted your dog today
Do you know he's lost weight?
Do you know he's scared and depressed
and has lost all faith?
I adopted your dog today
He had fleas and a cold
But don't worry none
You've unburdened your load.
I adopted your dog today
Were you having a baby or moving away?
Did you suddenly develop allergies?
Or another reason he couldn't stay?
I adopted your dog today
He doesn't play or eat much
He's very depressed
But he will learn again to trust
I adopted your dog today
And here he will stay
He's found his forever home
And a warm bed on which to lay.
I adopted your dog today
And I will give him all that he could need -
Patience, love, security and understanding.
Hopefully he will forget your selfish deed.
- Author Unknown
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About the Bloggers
Daily Breeze reporter Donna Littlejohn has shared her homes with a succession of wonderful, funny, and occasionally difficult canines -- Muffin, Fritz, Ellie, Mercy, Pilgrim and now Cowboy, an Australian shepherd-border collie, and Tess, a border collie. From strong-willed terriers to weirdly obsessed Australian shepherds, they've invaded her world with boundless energy, wet noses, muddy paws and soggy tennis balls. But they've really brought so much more than that -- like laughter and joy, some unexpected life lessons, and more than a few tears along the way.
E-mail Donna at donna.littlejohn@dailybreeze.com.
Josh Grossberg grew up with the usual array of animals: goldfish, dogs, hamsters, parakeets and turtles. He now owns the loudest dog in the South Bay(Video: Rocket the Dog) and is the least popular person on his block. He spends his free time in dog parks, pet shops and always has an extra plastic bag in his pocket just in case. He also has a cat.
E-mail Josh at josh.grossberg@dailybreeze.com.
It's funny because my one criticism of the poem was that it did tend toward self-righteousness. I was thinking about that, in fact, on the drive home last night. You're right, there simply are times when people find themselves unable to keep a pet. It happens. When my mom died unexpectedly nearly 20 years ago, she had 3 dogs. I was really only in a position to keep the two smaller, older terriers (and even then it required a move from an apartment to a rental house). The third dog had been a new acquisition of my mom's, a young shepherd who had a very good chance of being adopted so I found a private, no-kill shelter where they seemed to feel they could place her without much trouble. (If I had it to do over again, I'd have found some way to keep her as well, but I had a lot on my plate at the time.) I would say that taking a pet to a city or county shelter where euthanasia rates are high should be a very last resort -- and one that probably doesn't have to be ever taken given the rescue groups and many other resources we have at our disposal today. I think this poem specifically addresses irresponsible owners who perhaps wouldn't bother to find better options. But I can see where the poem might appear (unfairly) to use a pretty broad brush. So thanks for your comment that brings out a more rounded, nuanced point of view.
That's just cold hearted.
While I've never had to relinquish a pet due to hard times, I've come very close to it and it was like vice gripping my heart.
It is wrong to assume that everyone who must give-up a beloved pet does so for all the selfish reasons stated in this poem. In fact, this poem attacks everyone who has been so badly beaten by this dreadful recession.
Shame!