"You can't save them all," is a very common phrase in the rescue world. People use it to make themselves feel better because, hey, its true - the number of dogs in need exceeds the adoptive/foster homes, space at rescues, resources and dedication it would take to do the job. With. That. Being. Said. I think it would do the entire world a whole lot of good if we just worked harder to save dogs who CAN be saved. By this, I do not mean let sick or old dogs die instead of puppies. I do not mean let certain breeds be pushed to the back burner. I simply mean, if a dog is too far gone to save, let it go. I personally know dogs who are too aggressive to be deemed adoptable, and yet, there they sit and take up space while week after week friendly dogs are euthanized. It has nothing to do with their breeds (I am referring to several dogs who are all of different breeds). It has everything to do with their past. A human abused them. A human abandoned them. A human neglected them. A human bred meanness into them. It is NOT their fault. However, it is the responsibility of their caretakers to know when you've done all that you could. It is your moral obligation to the volunteers who handle these dogs, the prospective adopters who want these dogs, the public who is exposed to these dogs, and to the dogs who will die in their place to know when you have to end the cycle of violence. I have held an innocent dog while his heart stopped beating. I know first hand just how horrific it is to witness a dog die because no one could, or would, help him. But I also know the peace it brings. Dogs were designed to stand by our sides and be our partners as we go through life. We made dogs. We took wolves and played God with their DNA. We morphed them into our fierce protectors and our favorite pillows. Every single thing done by dogs is to be blamed on us - because everything they do is for us. So when man has taken the loyal, loving creatures that we so happily made, and broken them beyond repair, it is up to us to protect dogs from themselves. A dog who attacks humans without reason; a dog with no sense of loyalty; a dog who draws blood from the hand that feeds; that animal is not a dog.
