If
everything went well, I would be the newest member of the Missouri Humane
Society as an Adoption Counselor. My husband and I visit their Macklind
location at least once a month to give treats to the animals still searching for
their forever homes. To think that I would get to be a part of such a wonderful
group was mind blowing.
However,
my joy soon diminished as I realized I had gotten an interview for their
Chesterfield location. This would mean almost an hour drive every day. Plus, I
would have to work on holidays as well as weekends. But my passion for animals
is so great that I knew compromises would have to be made.
The doors
opened and I stepped into the adoption center. Cute kitties pawed at me from
behind their glass enclosures. Animal themed gifts filled the mini gift shop.
It was official. I was in heaven!
I
immediately hit it off with the manager. *Beth and I had the same passion for
saving lives. I was then asked how I felt about euthanasia. “Well, I liken it
to deer hunting,” I explained. “I do not participate or support it, but I
understand why it is sometimes needed.” She said, “Great analogy! I don’t like
hunting either.”
Before I
knew it, I had received an offer for immediate employment. While overjoyed,
there was still one issue that needed to be addressed: the pay. Accepting this
job would mean a HUGE pay cut. My husband was less than thrilled, but wanted to
support my dream. He knows that I am not meant for the cut throat office world.
I have had my share of that abuse. And I truly do have a talent for working
with animals. They seem to instantly trust me. I firmly believe that it is a
gift from God.
I do not
want to be selfish, but I am ready to do something meaningful with my life.
Something that will utilize the skills and talents that God has given me. I no
longer want to pretend to be something that I am not.
Taking a
deep breath, I brought up the salary. Beth told me that she would see what she
could do. Then she began to talk about another position that was still open.
The Transport Coordinator would be responsible for going to area shelters and
selecting the most adoptable animals to be brought back to the humane society.
This person would also assist the Missouri Animal Cruelty Task Force in rescuing
abused and neglected animals. And Beth thought I would be just perfect for the
job!
She raced out of the room in search of her
phone. She hoped that she would be able to reach her supervisor so that I could
get hired on the spot for that (higher paying) position. I thought that the
stars of my life were finally aligning. God did have a plan for me and it was
going to be amazing!
Unfortunately,
Beth was unable to locate her boss. I left with the understanding that the
Adoption Counselor position was mine if I wanted it and that Beth would be
contacting me when she heard from her boss.
I left feeling so excited. Beth had given me
more compliments than any of my bosses (past and present) ever have. Everything
felt so right.
The next
morning, I received a call requesting an interview that very day in the
afternoon. I readily accepted and watched the clock slowly tick away the
minutes until my departure. My phone rang about two hours before the interview.
It was *Michelle, Beth’s boss, wanting to conduct a pre-interview. She began by
explaining the hours and how they would vary. Some overnight travel may be
required. I was nodding my head, as if she could see me. Michelle then asked
how I felt about euthanasia. I decided to stick with my hunting analogy since
it was such a hit and accurately describes how I feel about the subject.
“You would
be performing this,” Michelle stated.
My heart immediately dropped into my stomach. I
felt like I was going to throw up. “I would be performing
euthanasia?” I asked incredulously.
“Yes, that
is a requirement for this job.”
I was completely horrified. I am known as the
saver of animal lives, not the destroyer. No way in a million years could I
ever kill an animal, no matter how much money was thrown at me.
“No, I could never do that,” I replied.
“Well, it is a requirement for this position,”
Michelle commented. She then left a very pregnant pause as if I was going to
change my mind.
“I’m sorry, but I could never do that,” I
answered.
We thanked
each other for our time and hung up. I was enraged. Beth had billed the
Transport Coordinator position as one that would SAVE lives. She
did not make a single mention of the fact that I would also be responsible for
needlessly killing animals. I would have showed no interest in the job if I had
known the full details.
This
experience has greatly changed my opinion of the Missouri Humane Society and
what they stand for. I found out that if they have a large influx of animals,
those that have treatable illnesses, such as UTI’s, are euthanized to make
space for their healthy, adoptable counterparts. While I understand that
overcrowding is a real issue, what I cannot wrap my brain around is the fact
that HSMO just received a multimillion dollar grant to build a new, larger
facility. Doesn’t this mean that they will have more space for intakes? And
they are blessed enough to have 3 locations, unlike most animal shelters and
humane societies that are lucky to have just one.
With all
of these spaces to house homeless animals, why are they insistent upon killing
them? I own several fur babies that I know they would have deemed “unadoptable.”
Hope, our double dapple Dachshund, was born without eyes and is completely
deaf. She is the biggest inspiration in my life. Even with these
“disabilities,” she lives her best life in which her tail is always wagging.
Hope holds her head high as she prances from room to room. Had she fallen into
the clutches of HSMO, she would have undoubtedly been killed simply because people
cannot begin to fathom how any living creature could be happy living a life
without sight or sound. Yet, she loves everyone that she meets. Hope will greet
you with a wag of her tail and then cover you in the best weenie kisses ever.
Penny is our tripod Chiweenie wonder. She was
born with a severe overbite and a deformed front paw. While Penny does hop
around like a bunny, she does not allow anything to hold her back. She
frequently scales our three foot pet gate and loves to race her furry siblings around
in the backyard. Penny is a total love bug who enjoys meeting new people, dogs
and cats. Her looks only enhance the awesomeness that is Penny.
Every day, animals just like Hope and Penny are
“put to sleep” because they are deemed unworthy of being adopted. How can HSMO
play God? I cannot ever imagine being forced to choose which animals to save
and which to kill. It is reminiscent of Sophie’s Choice on a much larger scale.
Marc Barone is currently working on an epic project entitled “An Act of Dog” in
which he is painting portraits of all of the dogs that have been euthanized
across the country for no other reason than a lack of space.
I am then
reminded of HSMO’s Second Chances telethon. This annual TV special presentation
depicts HSMO as being the guardians of animals and their well-being, all while
asking for monetary donations in order to continue providing “protection” for
animals in need. What they do not tell viewers is that they are not a no-kill
shelter. They are an all access shelter, which means that they will not
discriminate against an animal due to age or health issues. I was told this
during my interview. The same interview in which I was told that if there was
an abundance of animals, those with treatable illnesses would be euthanized first.
What a hypocritical organization!
If they
truly want to be humane (as in their very name sake), they should try to HELP
as many animals as they can. Just like humans, not all animals are born with
the same chance at a wonderful life. I
had believed that it was the mission of every humane society and rescue group
to give these poor creatures a second chance at living the life they truly
deserve.
While my
dreams of combining my love of animals with a job are sufficiently dashed, I
also find that I am feeling somewhat relieved.
Knowing how duplicitous HSMO is, I would not want to be employed at
their establishment only to watch countless numbers of animals senselessly lose
their lives.
*names have been changed
