Social Networking Saves Lives

I have a love/hate relationship with having a Facebook account. I love the ease of staying connected with friends and family and reconnecting with old friends that I had lost touch with over the years. I don't like the games, the negative posts, or anything political. But what really makes it worth it is being able to save shelter dogs who have "run out of time" and that are in danger of being euthanized.  By sharing pictures of these dogs (or cats!) with friends and networking for these animals, some of them are rescued. Most aren't so fortunate. Our nearby shelter has euthanized over 600 dogs and 1,000 cats over the last three years. Sickening numbers to say the least. This goes to show the importance of having your pets spayed and neutered to keep these grotesquely high numbers down. Last night I saw a pitiful picture of a sad sweet dog in a shelter in Georgia, who was scheduled to be put to sleep this morning. He's a 1-2 year old American Bulldog. One of the sweetest most mellow happy go lucky breeds out there. His shelter picture just broke my heart in two. Dumped at the shelter because his owners didn't want him anymore. I felt helpless living so far away and had very little hope in him getting rescued in such short notice but I shared his picture anyway. I shared it with an old friend who happens to live in Georgia just two hours away from the shelter where the dog was located. Not only was my friend awake late enough to get my late night last minute Facebook "share," in hopes to see if she knew anyone in the area who could foster him--but she, herself, offered to go pick him up in the morning (today) and foster him! From information passed on from Idaho to Georgia, we pulled together and saved this dogs life. I am elated that he has a shot at life and a shot at becoming the best friend to a family, adult or child. I am elated that he is going to know what it feels like to be loved by people who really care about him and to be a part of a loving family and household. I am elated that there are wonderful humans out there willing to take on the inconvenience to their daily lives by making the effort to save an animal. Here's Cash pictured with his two lovely rescuers. It warms my heart and fills my eyes with tears.