Cute and Cuddlie Animal Welfare Society

(WE ARE A TRUE 100% "NO KILL SHELTER"!!!)
Welcome!

We are dedicated to finding loving, forever homes for unwanted,
stray, feral, & abused cats and dogs. We are also in the fight
against the pet overpopulation by helping educate people on
what it means to be a responsible pet owner and encouraging
people to spay / neuter their pets. We are also in the fight to
prevent animal cruelty and to help feral / stray cats.

CCAWS
Cute and Cuddlie Animal
Welfare Society

***WE ARE FULL!!! WE ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING CATS /
KITTENS!!!***
(Please, click on the "Resources" tab for a list of organizations that maybe able to help you.)

THINK BEFORE YOU DO.......
(This is also applies to cats/kittens.)

A Letter from a Shelter Manager:

I think our society needs a huge "Wake-up" call. As a shelter manager, I am going to share a little insight with you all...a view from the inside if you will.

First off, all of you breeders/sellers should be made to work in the "back" of an animal shelter for just one day. Maybe if you saw the life drain from a few sad, lost, confused eyes, you would
change your mind about breeding and selling to people you don't even know.

That puppy you just sold will most likely end up in my shelter when it's not a cute little puppy anymore. So how would you feel if you knew that there's about a 90% chance that dog will never
walk out of the shelter it is going to be dumped at? Purebred or not! About 50% of all of the dogs that are "owner surrenders" or "strays", that come into my shelter are purebred dogs.

The most common excuses I hear are; "We are moving and we can't take our dog (or cat)." Really? Where are you moving too that doesn't allow pets? Or they say "The dog got bigger than we
thought it would". How big did you think a German Shepherd would get? "We don't have time for her". Really? I work a 10-12 hour day and still have time for my 6 dogs! "She's tearing up our
yard". How about making her a part of your family? They always tell me "We just don't want to have to stress about finding a place for her we know she'll get adopted, she's a good dog".

Odds are your pet won't get adopted & how stressful do you think being in a shelter is? Well, let me tell you, your pet has 72 hours to find a new family from the moment you drop it off.
Sometimes a little longer if the shelter isn't full and your dog manages to stay completely healthy. If it sniffles, it dies. Your pet will be confined to a small run/kennel in a room with about 25
other barking or crying animals. It will have to relieve itself where it eats and sleeps. It will be depressed and it will cry constantly for the family that abandoned it. If your pet is lucky, I will
have enough volunteers in that day to take him/her for a walk. If I don't, your pet won't get any attention besides having a bowl of food slid under the kennel door and the waste sprayed out of its
pen with a high-powered hose. If your dog is big, black or any of the "Bully" breeds (pit bull, rottie, mastiff, etc) it was pretty much dead when you walked it through the front door.

Those dogs just don't get adopted. It doesn't matter how 'sweet' or 'well behaved' they are.

If your dog doesn't get adopted within its 72 hours and the shelter is full, it will be destroyed. If the shelter isn't full and your dog is good enough, and of a desirable enough breed it may get a stay
of execution, but not for long . Most dogs get very kennel protective after about a week and are destroyed for showing aggression. Even the sweetest dogs will turn in this environment. If your pet
makes it over all of those hurdles chances are it will get kennel cough or an upper respiratory infection and will be destroyed because shelters just don't have the funds to pay for even a $100
treatment.

Here's a little euthanasia 101 for those of you that have never witnessed a perfectly healthy, scared animal being "put-down".

First, your pet will be taken from its kennel on a leash. They always look like they think they are going for a walk happy, wagging their tails. Until they get to "The Room", every one of them
freaks out and puts on the brakes when we get to the door. It must smell like death or they can feel the sad souls that are left in there, it's strange, but it happens with every one of them. Your
dog or cat will be restrained, held down by 1 or 2 vet techs depending on the size and how freaked out they are. Then a euthanasia tech or a vet will start the process. They will find a vein in the
front leg and inject a lethal dose of the "pink stuff". Hopefully your pet doesn't panic from being restrained and jerk. I've seen the needles tear out of a leg and been covered with the resulting
blood and been deafened by the yelps and screams. They all don't just "go to sleep", sometimes they spasm for a while, gasp for air and defecate on themselves.

When it all ends, your pets corpse will be stacked like firewood in a large freezer in the back with all of the other animals that were killed waiting to be picked up like garbage. What happens
next? Cremated? Taken to the dump? Rendered into pet food? You'll never know and it probably won't even cross your mind. It was just an animal and you can always buy another one, right?

I hope that those of you that have read this are bawling your eyes out and can't get the pictures out of your head I deal with everyday on the way home from work.

I hate my job, I hate that it exists & I hate that it will always be there unless you people make some changes and realize that the lives you are affecting go much farther than the pets you dump
at a shelter.

Between 9 and 11 MILLION animals die every year in shelters and only you can stop it. I do my best to save every life I can but rescues are always full, and there are more animals coming in
everyday than there are homes.

My point to all of this DON'T BREED OR BUY WHILE SHELTER PETS DIE!

Hate me if you want to. The truth hurts and reality is what it is. I just hope I maybe changed one persons mind about breeding their dog, taking their loving pet to a shelter, or buying a dog. I
hope that someone will walk into my shelter and say "I saw this and it made me want to adopt". THAT WOULD MAKE IT WORTH IT

**(This was used with permission from the author.).

Before you give up your dog(cat), because it no longer fits your lifestyle...please view
the video in it's entirety at the link below. If it doesn't change your mind, you just
don't have a heart. When a 'pet' is brought into ACS or any other surrender point, the
owner should be forced to watch this video first. This isn't aimed at those which are
unable to financially care for the pet any longer, or those which have other VALID
reasons. It's aimed at those that seem to think that when a pet no longer 'fits' in the
family or fit their lifestyle, that they have to go.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGwRCgdxKPo

**(This was used with permission from the author.)

Douglas Kimberly's Profile

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Someone in SA did this and it is so dead on get out the tissue.

Interview from an Animal Shelter

As a journalist, I decided to go to the animal, and interview some of the “inmates”. I wanted to know what it was like in there from their perspective. What follows is not for the faint of heart.

Animal Shelter - I entered the building, and one of the workers accompanied me to the holding area. This is where dogs are kept before they are allowed up for adoption. IF they are allowed up for
adoption. If the dogs are found to be aggressive in any way, euthanasia is employed. Fortunately, if “fortunately” is the word to be used here. In this establishment, they use lethal injection, not a gas
chamber.

The shelter worker led me past a big steel door that says “Employees Only”. “What is in there?” I asked. From the look he gave me, I knew that this is where dogs go in, and never return.

We moved on to a row of kennels. The dogs were barking loudly, there was the acrid smell of urine and feces, and a feeling of despair seemed to permeate the room.

“Go ahead,” the worker said. “They’re all yours.”

Pete Pitbull

I looked into the first kennel, and saw only the back of a medium sized dog who was curled up in the corner of his kennel, shivering. He was mostly white, with some black spots. “Hello?” I said. “May I
come in?” He lifted his head, as though it weighed more than he could bear. When he looked at me, I could see he was a Pitbull. His eyes were gentle, but filled with grief.

“Enter,” was all he said.

I stepped in, closing the gate behind me. He put his head back down, facing away from me. I crouched down a few feet away.

“My name is Pete. Petey my Master called me,” he said, still not looking at me.

“Why are you here Pete?” I asked.

“I am here because Master cannot afford to move. I am here because someone with power said I am vicious, and a killer. Someone who never met me. Master took me for a walk one day, and some lady
started to scream when she saw me. I got frightened, and barked at her. The dog police came, and they took me away. I have been with Master for 10 years. The last time I saw him, he just held me and
cried. He kept telling me he was sorry. I worry for him. Whatever will he do without me?” Pete shivered even more.

A tear slid down my face. I am supposed to remain objective, but this was wrong. So wrong.

“Thank you Pete.” I said. He said nothing as I got up and left his kennel.

Popper Border Collie

The kennel next to Pete’s held a very young looking dog. Pure Border Collie by my guess. He stood on his hind legs, looking at me through the gate.

“Hello. My name’s Popper. He tilted his head. “Are you here to take me home?”

“No, I’m sorry,” I replied. “But I would like to talk with you.”

“Sure. What would you like to talk about?”

“Popper, how did you come to be in this place?” I asked.

Popper dropped down from the gate, with a perplexed look on his face. He walked to the back of the kennel, then back to the front. I noticed he had one blue eye, and one brown. He was quite beautiful.
His black and white coat was shiny and thick.

“I am not certain WHY I am here. I think maybe my family will come back for me. They bought me when I was only 6 weeks old. I remember they said how smart Border Collies are, and how it would be
so easy to train me. They were very excited at first. The little ones played with me all the time. But the trouble with little Masters is, they refuse to stay in a group. I constantly had to nip their heels to
keep them together.” He looked confused. “Why won’t they stay in a group?” he sighed. “So I did what I thought I should do. I am not quite sure why the little ones screamed when I did my job, but they
did, and the Masters got very angry at me. They also got angry when I had to relieve myself, and did so in the house. I am not sure where they expected me to go. All they said was that I was the smartest
breed in the world, and I should just KNOW better. Then they left me in the yard for a month or so. I got bored a lot, and I dug holes in the grass. The next thing I knew, the Masters brought me here.”

Popper jumped back up on the gate, his white paws protruding through the links. He looked at me with his lovely eyes, and asked “Will you please let them know I want to come home? Please tell them I
promise I will be good?”

“I will Popper,” I said.

Spartan Rottweiler

My heart was breaking. I was beginning to regret coming here, but their stories had to be told. I moved along. The next dog I saw looked to be easily 100 lbs., a Rottweiler . He was handsome indeed,
except for the scars on his face and back. He tilted his head, and looked me right in the eyes.

“Hello. Who are you?” he asked.

“I am a reporter,” I replied. “May I speak with you for a little while?”

“Most certainly. My name is Spartan. You ca n come in, I won’t bite,” he said.

“Thank you Spartan. I will.”

I entered his kennel, reached out and stroked his giant head. He made a loud grumbling noise, and closed his eyes.

“Spartan, why are you here?”

Before he could answer my question, he was suddenly in the grip of a nasty coughing spasm. It sounded painful.

“Please excuse me,” he said when it passed. “Kennel cough. It seems all of us who come in here get it. “Why am I here? Well, about two years ago, I was born in the backyard of some person I can’t even
recall. I had 11 brothers and sisters. I recall a day when a big man came and gave that person some money, and took me away from my mother. They had to chain her up, as she was very angry that he
took me. They chained her and beat her. I came to know the man by the name of Jim. I overheard him telling his friends that I would grow up to be big and mean like my mother. But as I grew older, all
I wanted to do was play and be friends wit h everyone. Jim said I needed to be taught how to be mean, so he chained me up in the yard. No more house for me, he said, I was too spoiled.

When people came by to visit, I was so happy to see them. I wanted them to come and play. But that made Jim angry, so he beat me with sticks and chains. When he came near, I would roll onto my back
so he would know I wasn’t a bad dog. That made him beat me more.” Spartan’s eyes clouded with grief. “Then he brought me here.”

I reached out and stroked Spartan’s massive gentle head once more. “I am so sorry Spartan. Some people are just plain evil.” I gave him a kiss and left his kennel.

As I walked away, Spartan called out, “What will happen to me, nice lady?”

I shook my head. “I can’t say Spartan. Maybe someone kind will come and get you. We can only hope.”

Patsy Jack Russell Terrier

I walked a little further down. I could see a shape moving at the back of the next kennel. “Hello?” I called out. Suddenly the shape lunged at the gate in a fury, barking and gnashing its teeth. I stumbled
backwards, and crashed into an adjacent kennel. The other dogs began barking loudly and jumping at their gates.

“Don’t go near her,” a small female voice came from behind me. “She’s mad.”

I gathered myself back together, and saw a little Jack Russell Terrier behind me.

“Thanks for the warning,” I was still trembling. Across the way, the other dog, apparently a Husky and German Shepherd cross, was glaring at me, lips curled back revealing brown stained teeth. Her
ribs and hips showed through her dull, matted grey coat. The little dog invited me into her kennel, and I gladly went in.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Patsy.” The little brown and white dog held a paw up to the gate in greeting.

“My owner surrendered me. She said she wanted a cute little dog like the one on the TV show, Frasier. She didn’t bother to look into the type of dog I am.” Patsy heaved a sigh.

“I suppose she expected me to just lie about and only need a short walk each day, just like Eddie, but my energy was so high that I needed to run and play.” She glanced at her surroundings. “Now I am
here. I suppose it could be worse. I could be like.her.” Patsy looked towards the still growling dog across the way.

“What happened to make her so vicious?” I asked.

“From what we could gather,” she replied. “she was found tied in a back yard. She only had a three foot chain. Some days there was no water. Rarely was there any food. One day a nice neighbor came by
and brought her some meat. By then it was too late. She was already mad. She broke off her chain, and bit the poor man badly. We know she will be going behind the steel door. I am sad to say, I think it
will be best. Perhaps then she will know some peace.”

Just then, the door at the end of the building opened, and a woman stepped inside. All the dogs began to bark wildly, then one by one, they went quiet.

I whispered to Patsy, “Who is that? Why have all the dogs gone quiet?”

Patsy breathed deeply through her little nose, and closed her eyes. “SHE is a Rescuer. Can’t you smell it?” she asked.

“Smell what?” I was confused.

“Compassion. Love. Sorrow. It emanates from her pores. She is here for one of us, but nobody knows who just yet.” Patsy looked hopeful.

The Rescuer moved from kennel to kennel, looking at each dog. I sat quietly watching. I could see tears in her eyes as she made eye contact with each one. She stopped at Spartan’s cage and spoke quietly
to him.

“No more beatings my man. No more. You are coming with me. From here on in, it’s all going to get better.”

The Rescuer produced a leash, opened the kennel door, and took Spartan away. As he walked beside her, his little stubby tail wagged with delight.

Patsy sighed again. I could see the disappointment in her eyes, and it grieved me. They all had the same look, as they watched The Rescuer depart.

“I am so sorry Patsy,” I said in a whisper. “But you are a little dog, and everyone loves little dogs. I am convinced you will be rescued soon.” Patsy’s brown eyes twinkled at me, a little bit of hope
returning.

I had heard and seen enough. I needed to tell people how it was for these unfortunate creatures. They were all here through no fault of their own. I stood to leave. I passed by many other dogs I did not
interview, looking at each one, wishing I could take them all home with me and give them the love they deserved. I stood by the door taking one last glance back, when it opened, and one of the pound
workers came in. His face was drawn and sad. He walked by without a word, and stopped at Pete’s kennel. I heard him take a deep breath, then he paused, and opened the kennel door.

The words were muffled, but I am sure I heard him say “I’m sorry old boy.”

He came out, with Petey in tow. The old dog’s head hung down in resignation, and they both disappeared behind the big steel door.

************ ********* ********* ****

I’m not sure who wrote this or where it originally came from but I have come across it before and no matter how many times I read it, it brings me to tears. If dogs and animals actually could talk,
imagine the stories, the heartbreak. There are so many dogs and pets that need homes, desperately waiting in shelters. Hundreds of thousands every year are led behind that ‘big steel door.’ Do you
have room in your heart? Do you have room in your life? Think about saving a life! Adopt from a shelter!!
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The dogs below are from the San Antonio Animal Care Services (the shelter). Please go to www.sapets.com to view the dogs. Please save at least one life if you can, it means the world to them.

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BE RESPONSIBLE!!!

SPAY/NEUTER!!!!

PROPER SHELTER/FOOD/WATER/VET
CARE!!!