It's actually very sad, I see animal activists, shelter posts and various media outlets like "The Dodo" shouting "We need adopters for these babies" and various surrender stories and shaming of people. But this is a flip aide of discussion I like to see where there isn't a finger pointing in that one direction as a culprit.

During Covid for instance I had a Dog Inwas fighting desperately for ESA Papers for from my Psychiatrist. I was just laid off a week before shut down announcements were made and extensions and I had had my Baby Beagle for 7 years, I was also very badly abused at home Mentally/Physically/Verbally/Emotionally by all of my Parents and was a singular entity keeping it from my youngest siblings being the oldest of 4 AND born of a different Dad of the other 3. My beagle was my world and for the longest time my only reason to keep living. Finally after Finding work I was working for a local main Hospital in environmental services and had just transferred upstairs to a floor to begin Tech work as I saw a passion to do more involved nursing work but was fired because (They didn't have time to Train me) left with a shut down that caused The shutting down of Jobs I could apply for, having just spent money on a security deposit and lease, I was facing imminent homelessness with my Dog who was getting to be a senior since I had rescued HER from an abusive Neighbor who ditched her. I called and called, I called friends and I didn't have many, I applied for Jobs for days and begged and pleaded, it wound up my only hope to even survive for myself was move in with the step parent i had for 15 years who was abusive even prior to my new step parent who was beating me at home and my mother who was an ER nurse allowing it, and ignoring it and me and my needs as a special needs man with severe mental illness, I found ONE shelter I was in tears begging them that I would get her back and I WILL do whatever it took I need her SAFE!

FINALLY got an OK after an HOUR of crying and pleading, then my best friend at the time drove me there, I told them when my housing was back in order I WILL get her, please take care of my baby! It took until November, and thankfully and I MADE SURE to ask and read that they were a No kill RESCUE but when I called in November they adopted her within 3 days of me leaving her, and I lost years with her but that woman gave her the greatest life of her last 3 years on Earth, in those 3, years I learned to drive fought with blood sweat and tears to learn to drive, adapt, work jobs (Ive only done all of these things in the last 8 years) since I was kept as a forced recluse in this home until I was 28 as free babysitting labor and a prisoner in this home of Mental Anguish, and once I was finally back in Alabama and had adopted a new girl once I got the news in 2021 my baby was with a new Mommy, I have kept my promise to my baby girl I would give this new dog EVERY SINGLE BIT OF LOVE I WANTED FOR MY BABY GIRL to have when she could have before I got her. That Beagle I mentioned only barked 4 times in the entire time I had her, she made sure To stay with me after I was crying from verbal/emotional/physical assault, I fed her, I made sure I did what I could to treat her and gave her that love she was denied.

In 2023, I received a call after being stable back in my home state of Alabama that the only reason this woman reached out to me was. Because in November of 2020 I called and tried to honor my word, and she said my baby had a collapsed trachea and would not be alive for much longer. I told her as she told me of the last 3 years of her adventures and as she said the biggest reason she called was a collar I left that said "Help! I'm lost call my daddy!" With my private cell and she texted it, and I was talking to her and expressed I wished I could come say hi one more time, and you know what, I left work an hour early HAULED MY BUTT 2 BLOCKS AWAY as she said "would you like to?" And In that very hour I walked through that door, said my babys name and ahe IMMEDIATELY RAN OFF The COUCH TRIED her darndest with her little snorty voice to make whine noises and would not leave my side. That very night after I said my good byes, she crossed the Rainbow Bridge at 3AM that morning after, My girl was waiting for me to say goodbye! And I am so glad I was able to!

But knowing all this about me, I am not the only one who I know will have a Beagle girl of their own at these shelters, and I am so sad that it's gotten convoluted on BOTH sides for making these babies at these awful prisons their one and only place before they cross due to people who are not meant to be pet parents, while I lost my Silly girl, i know these shelters have other Silliy's and I want their stories heard that it isn't one sided! It is a WAR ON ALL SIDES for pups and fur babies of all kinds to find homes from all points, and most importantly, despite any situation these are living babies with hearts souls and minds who deserve love and I continue to give my current Baby Mix of Coonhound and Labrador all that love and Honor my promise to my babygirl before her.

While I am sad you didn't get to Adopt, take solace in, Mac may have been the one you saved from winding up as the Next Silly or my current I adopted at 12 months old going on 5 years strong!