Sweet Planet Poems

What makes an animal refuge a sanctuary?

from Wikipedia:
A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a safe haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a safe place for humans, such as a political sanctuary; and non-human sanctuary, such as an animal or plant sanctuary.

We think of a sanctuary as a safe haven, a refuge free from the violence of war and external turmoil, free of mistreatment.  In the case of animals, a sanctuary must be this and something more.  It must rescue, care for, respect its animals as individuals and permit them to flourish.  And it must not contribute to the problem, enormous in scope, of neglected, abandoned, and abused animals.

That means, a sanctuary must neuter its animals and thus not permit them to breed.

An animal refuge has only so much room.  When it breeds its animals, where do these creatures go when the refuge cannot care for them?  Do they join the ranks, 150 – 200,000 strong in the case of captive wolves and wolf-dogs, most of whom are euthanized?  Are some sold to private owners, who soon find themselves unable to care for an adult wild animal?  Do they spend their lives in a travel kennel or on a chain, a chain which sometimes digs into the neck and requires surgical removal by a rescue organization?   Are they beaten regularly with a bat on the face?  Please see W.O.L.F Before and After Rescue Photos  The “after” photos make this bearable.

This is not a pretty story, but it’s the face of reality in the animal rescue world.  We can turn away, or we can acknowledge the existence of a problem to be addressed.   When your local zoo closes its wolf exhibit, where do the wolves go?  Does anybody ask?  What happens to the babies when your special animal refuge has a breeding season?  What are their prospects for a decent life?  Who are we and what do we care about?

Please visit The Wolves for stories that will make you cry and laugh at the same time.