Just got back from the Humane Society. Arthi and Jenny had cajoled me into driving them there to adopt a rabbit ("We want to name him Fakewich!"), after getting the cage, the color-coordinated water bottle and feed trough (they're purple), and the necessary food. They don't have her yet - she still needs to be spayed - but she's an adorable black and white rabbit, and I'm sure she'll fit right in up in Hell...

While Jenny and Arthi spent their time looking for the rabbits and awww!-ing over the puppies, I admit that I was drawn to the older dogs. I remember going to the Humane Society of Longview with my family and picking out my first cat, Whiskers (yeah, not so imaginative, but I was only 8). He was a several-year-old huge orange, yellow and white striped tabby, and though I was leaning towards the adorable black and white kittens in the next cage, my parents talked me into Whiskers. Their reasoning was based on the euthanasia dates set for the animals. The kittens had another month, and were already being fawned over by the other two families who were there. The orange tabby had only another 3 days - sure, he wasn't as playful or cuddly as the kittens, but he was certainly affectionate, and no one at all had inquired about him. It didn't seem fair. How could I say no?

Today, I was drawn to at least three dogs I would've gladly taken home (but Red would never forgive me... never mind that I don't have space or time for a dog right now). The first who caught my eye, a beautiful 2-year-old black golden/lab retriever mix, was nursing 4 2-month-old rottweiler/retriever mix puppies. She was extremely affectionate and personable when I approached her, and was thrilled to have someone paying attention to her... as many as 10 people exclaimed over the pups while I was there, but not a hand was extended to the mother. She was horribly thin, her ribs poking through her long, matted fur - she'd been found on the streets with her pups about a week ago. How can someone justify abandoning a nursing mother on the streets, when there's a humane society that would take them in and provide new homes for them? Happily, I saw her led out of the cage about 20 minutes after I'd left her, and later heard that someone was considering adopting her. Whoever gets her will be a really lucky owner.

The next was a 5-year-old reddish cocker spaniel mix... a real gentleman. I must have spent at least 10 minutes with him. He was ecstatic when I stroked his head and scratched behind his ears, grinning widely with his tongue lolling out - seems like he doesn't get much attention. No wonder, since the puppies are kept several cages away. But he was so affectionate, so well behaved, I'm amazed someone hasn't taken him yet. Hopefully he'll go soon, as he's part of the new "free senior pets for seniors" plan at the humane society. Good way to get some of the older pets out of the society and into new homes.

Finally, there was the 2 year old norwegian something-hound (lundhund?) mix. She was lying down in the shade when I paused by her pen, but immediately got up and trotted over. Absolutely beautiful - kind of like a husky, but with a narrower snout and a slightly less muscular body (especially as her ribs were showing through). She was very affectionate, very personable - again, I don't understand why no one's taken her yet. She's been there for several weeks at this point, and she'd make someone really happy. I can't justify euthanizing a healthy, affectionate animal who would be a fantastic companion... but no one bothered to give her a glance in the ten minutes I was there. Plenty of people came through looking at the puppies on either side, but not a one stopped and gave her a chance. I don't understand.

Don't get me wrong. Raising an animal from an early age is a great way to ensure that they have the training that you'd like them to acquire, as well as preventing them from acquiring bad habits or experiencing abuse. But I cannot understand why someone would choose a puppy over a well-trained, affectionate older animal. 2-year-olds are fantastic, especially if they've been house-trained - they've gotten over the chewing phase, and aren't going to mistake your fingers for nipples and gnaw on them (or your furniture) with their needle-like teeth. They're every bit as faithful and wonderful as a puppy, and perhaps even better, because they know what it's like to be abandoned, to lose an owner, and they really appreciate the care you give them. Even a 5-year-old is a good bet - a healthy hybrid could easily live another 7-10 years. My mother's German shepherd mix, Minka, lived a good 18 years before she had to be put to sleep. And that's just for a medium-sized dog. Small ones can live for 20 years if they're lucky.

Enough ranting. Just think about why you're going for the cute, young animals over the older ones at the shelter. Consider who's more likely to be adopted, and how much longer the shelter will support them before euthanasia (it's usually on the cage tag). And choose wisely.

Final word on the topic - the Humane Society's taking volunteer applications all the time. If you're interested in working in any aspect of the shelter, then they'd probably love to hear from you. Arthi's probably going to apply and go for it over the summer. And the more I think about it, the better it sounds... I'd get to work with dogs and other small animals at least once a week, either training or giving attention to socialize them and make them more adoptable. It's tempting. And after being around dogs my whole life, as well as training a couple of them, I think it's something I could do to make a difference. I guess I'll have to see if I have enough time during the next month, but I'll probably apply for next year. It seems like the right thing to do.