Camping predicts the end of the world for people. What about our pets?

What is it about doomsayer Harold Camping and others like him that they have so many followers believing in the predictions they make, which never occur?  Are the same followers who thought the world would end on May 21 falling for Camping’s latest con and now buying into his prophecy that the end of the world is really going to happen, this time, on October 21, 2011?

The amount of publicity and the media attention, including billboards, the internet, and TV that have been focused on Harold Camping astound me and many others.  So do the countless people who give up their possessions and life-savings so Camping can afford to proclaim the end of the world. 

If Camping predicted that all responsible pet owners who took care of their pets and considered them part of the family would go to heaven and reap a reward, would animal abuse be a thing of the past?

Since cell phone cameras and the Internet, anyone can see how prevalent animal abuse has become.  I will not discuss the gory details of what some helpless animals endure, but I
cannot help but wonder if there is something in the water or air that affects the minds of such heartless monsters.

I provide facts for what I blog, and many more facts can be found on the Internet.  However, there needs to be a following by those who are shocked by facts and want to make it their mission to bring awareness to the plight of animals. 

Fact:  Beating and torturing a pet, as well as abandoning a pet somewhere with no food or water are probably the worst forms of abuse.  Dumping a pet in the pound and thinking that because it is so adorable it will be immediately adopted may not be considered abuse by any, but in reality, the dumper may have sentenced the loving pet to death.

Fact:  Last Friday alone, at just one shelter, approximately 117 pets were logged in.  While 15-20 animals a day brought into a shelter is the norm, some pondered whether Friday’s  number skyrocketed because Camping’s followers thought they were going to heaven and pets are not accepted.  To relieve the overpopulation in the shelters, those pets that have been in the longest will most likely be put down sooner rather than later.  Oftentimes, more innocent animals are put down in a day than are adopted out.

Fact:  According to The Humane Society of the United  States, an estimated 5 MILLION CATS AND DOGS ARE KILLED IN SHELTERS EACH YEAR.  That is one about every six-and-one-half seconds.  While I and many others would like to predict that on October 22, 2011, when the world is still spinning, animals will be treated with compassion and respect, the fact is that there are too many people who think that pets are possessions. 

Fact:  If people will take a stance against inhumanity towards animals/pets and become followers of those who are desperately working towards positive change, the mission might be accomplished sooner rather than later.  Please join forces and use a very loud voice for the voiceless.

Why do the media appear to be more compelled to report on unlikely predictions that the world is ending than to cover the facts about the number of animals losing their lives on a daily basis, at the taxpayers’ expense?  How difficult would it be for TV programmers to
bring awareness to the crisis in our animal shelters using the news crawl often seen on the bottom of the screen?  What about celebrities and sports idols doing public service announcements to help educate people about responsible pet guardianship?  It is important that facts and constant reminders be presented to the public.

Just in case you are still considering giving up your worldly goods in anticipation of going to heaven on October 21, please consider donating your money to an animal rescue organization, because Harold Camping will have no further use for any riches.