A Cat Is Not a Can of Soup
A Cat Is Not a Can of Soup
Have you been thinking of getting a pet? Wait a minute before you rush down to a pet shop. Adopting a pet from the Ferndale Shelter is often a wiser move than buying one. However, many families hesitate to visit the shelter because they aren 't aware of its advantages or have mistaken ideas about what they will find there.
To begin with, you may believe that you 're more likely to find a healthy, well-adjusted dog or cat at a pet shop. From what I have seen here in town, not all pet shops are the same. Some good shops are run by animal lovers who try to give good care to the creatures they sell, although they lack time to give much individual attention to each one. In other shops, the animals are treated like merchandise, like cans of soup or boxes of soap. These shop owners may buy dogs from puppy mills, businesses that turn out puppies as if they actually were cans of soup. The people running these mills provide food, water, and a place to sleep but not much else. Sometimes they let the animals live in appalling conditions. The pet shop puppies from mills are definitely not healthy and well adjusted.
On the other hand, a definite point in favor of the Ferndale Shelter is that only animal lovers work there, and there are plenty of them to give the animals good care! During my visit to the shelter, I learned that its two paid staff members and 13 volunteers spend time with every animal. They make sure each one gets exercise, has clean quarters, and is seen by a veterinarian. They de-worm the dogs and treat mange. This isn 't to say that all their animals are healthy. Sometimes the animals arrive at the shelter very sick. However, the shelter workers will not allow anyone to adopt a seriously ill animal. If an animal has
© 2007 K12 Inc. All rights reserved. Copying or distributing without K12’s written consent is prohibited.
Page 1 of 3
ENG102B: Literary Analysis and Composition I | Unit 2
curable health problems or
Have you been thinking of getting a pet? Wait a minute before you rush down to a pet shop. Adopting a pet from the Ferndale Shelter is often a wiser move than buying one. However, many families hesitate to visit the shelter because they aren 't aware of its advantages or have mistaken ideas about what they will find there.
To begin with, you may believe that you 're more likely to find a healthy, well-adjusted dog or cat at a pet shop. From what I have seen here in town, not all pet shops are the same. Some good shops are run by animal lovers who try to give good care to the creatures they sell, although they lack time to give much individual attention to each one. In other shops, the animals are treated like merchandise, like cans of soup or boxes of soap. These shop owners may buy dogs from puppy mills, businesses that turn out puppies as if they actually were cans of soup. The people running these mills provide food, water, and a place to sleep but not much else. Sometimes they let the animals live in appalling conditions. The pet shop puppies from mills are definitely not healthy and well adjusted.
On the other hand, a definite point in favor of the Ferndale Shelter is that only animal lovers work there, and there are plenty of them to give the animals good care! During my visit to the shelter, I learned that its two paid staff members and 13 volunteers spend time with every animal. They make sure each one gets exercise, has clean quarters, and is seen by a veterinarian. They de-worm the dogs and treat mange. This isn 't to say that all their animals are healthy. Sometimes the animals arrive at the shelter very sick. However, the shelter workers will not allow anyone to adopt a seriously ill animal. If an animal has
© 2007 K12 Inc. All rights reserved. Copying or distributing without K12’s written consent is prohibited.
Page 1 of 3
ENG102B: Literary Analysis and Composition I | Unit 2
curable health problems or