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I was alerted to this statement on the Humane Society of the US website by a member of the Senior Dog List. In the section on "Guidelines for Finding a Responsible Home for a Pet" (which is otherwise very good) they write: "7. If your pet is chronically ill, older, or has critical behavioral problems, you should seriously consider having him euthanized by a veterinarian or animal shelter technician. Chances are that the adjustment to a new home will be difficult, and he may be unnecessarily traumatized by the shock of a new home or may even be abandoned by the new owner once his problems are discovered." ....it's the "older" I'm sure many of us will not agree with. There will be older animals who cannot make the adjustment to a new home, but I believe that is a small percentage. We've both adopted and placed many older animals, and although there was no way to predict how they would fare in a new environment, all of them did well. Most animals respond to love and good care. I think many rescuers have had similar experiences. It would be more accurate
and responsible to suggest that placing an older animal is more difficult
and to suggest some tips for helping older animals to adjust to a new
home. An excellent resource is the "Adopting a Senior Dog" section
of the Senior Dogs Project website: Almost everyone who adopts an older animal is extra special and I think the majority are well prepared for any challenges. I wholeheartedly support HSUS's educational efforts, but I think on that particular point, we need to educate them. There is no e-mail contact given on their website, but their contact information from the World Animal Net directory is: Humane Society of
the United States - Jim Willis Copyright Jim Willis 2001 - Used With Permission = Permission to cross-post = UPDATE Viewer Nancy writes: "Regarding the "Senior Moment" article, the author states that the HSUS doesn't provide a contact link; however, if readers will scroll down to the bottom of their home page at www.hsus.org, they will find the link to contact them. A form comes up and you can designate your message to go to the appropriate person for the particular type of issue you're writing about. Hope readers will find this helpful in responding to the article." - via email
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