Hey all...I know there are a few animal lovers here and was wondering if you could give me your opinion!
Living in Mexico is great in so many ways, but in one way that it is not is the treatment of animals.
Since I have been here, I've seen some really sad animals and I've had to make some really hard decisions.
They don't spay/neuter their pets so there are lots of strays. 3 weeks ago I found a very sick kitten on the street, about 3 weeks old. Her eyes were so infected, full of fleas and parasites and very dehydrated. This was on a busy street, people everywhere. We picked her up and brought her to the vet thinking that we would have to pay to put her down. (our house already had 2 strays). I ended up taking her home and nursing her back to health...it took 3 weeks and several trips to the vet.
Yesterday a friend brought over a box of kittens, their eyes not open yet. I guess the night before there were kids walking around trying to give them away, when no one took them, they left them on the garbage heap. They were freezing and scared and so hungry. I decided that I would nurse them back to health and then drop them off at the local humane society. I called them and asked what the chances that they would be adopted, they said no chance. No one adopts cats, they would probably put them down after being in there a few weeks. I had to make the choice to have them all put down because I can't take in 4 more cats.
So, my question is this, do you think that it is better to leave them, to possibly suffer until they die, but also might be picked up by someone who can take care of them OR to nurse them back to health and try to adopt them out, if I can't, drop them off at the humane society anyway...at least they have a chance, OR just bring them and have them put down?
What would you do?
I feel so terrible about the decision I had to make...but thinking about the shape of my cat when I found her, I feel like death is better then to suffer like my cat did...the vet said that she was probably alone a few days and would have died within 24 hours.
Sorry about the depressing story on a friday...
Esperanza...after her first bath.