Dogs, Cats Shouldn’t Be Treated As Disposable

Sat., May 6, 1995

Karen Boykin Special To Opinion

One night during spring break, my roommate and I were sitting on a log, which was over a canal, near my home in Moses Lake. It was dark enough that the stars shone brightly. In the distance coyotes howled.

In Moses Lake, the coyotes have been known to come right up to you, especially in the spring, and we had thought about going back to the house.

Suddenly my roommate jumped, gasped and looked down at a wet nose pressing under her arm. There stood, not a coyote, but the most lovable dog one could ever imagine.

Once we got over the fright, my roommate and I decided to head back to my house, and the dog followed us. It stayed one night and the next day.

I decided to take a look at her tags and called the number I found there. That number belonged to the Humane Society.

The Humane Society helpfully gave me the dog’s name, Jasmine, and the number of her owners. All day long I cared for Jasmine and unknowingly became attached to her. We already have two dogs, plus two more when my sister moves home, so keeping another was out of the question.

I wanted the best for Jasmine so I called and left messages on the owners’ answering machine, but they did not respond until 10 that night.

By that time, my mother had made me take Jasmine back to the Humane Society. Jasmine’s owners said they were going to leave her there and buy a new puppy because Jasmine was just too much work for them.

Like a puppy isn’t a lot of work?

This situation makes me furious. Jasmine was well-trained and obedient. All she wanted was love and a place where she belonged.

Her owners had adopted Jasmine only a week earlier to save her life, and now they are taking that away from her.

When a person adopts an animal they should love it as they would any other pet, not just say, “It’s too hard, I want a new one.”

Animals were not meant to be thrown away as we throw away trash.

By now, I’m sorry to say, Jasmine probably has been euthanized because of her owners’ selfish needs. If you are not going to have time for an animal, then don’t get one.

MEMO: Your Turn is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion page. To submit a column for consideration, call Rebecca Nappi/459-5496, or Doug Floyd/459-5466.

Your Turn is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion page. To submit a column for consideration, call Rebecca Nappi/459-5496, or Doug Floyd/459-5466.

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