There has been an interesting discussion taking place on a Bay Area on line billboard about organizations that rescue animals from far flung shelters, while dozens of animals in Sonoma County shelters wait for homes.

The poster wanted to know why organizations went to such great lengths to either rescue animals from other counties or countries, in some cases, and/or why so much money is spent caring for medically challenged cases. “Then, around the corner in the local shelter, perfectly healthy animals, needing no expensive medical treatment, are killed because no one adopted them? I don’t understand,” said a reader.

I was half expecting others to rant on about shelters and rescues, only doing it to get good public relations so that donors would be more willing to remember the organization. There was some of that and in reality, there is a bit of that in rescue work.

But there are a lot of folks who understand that animal rescue work is often a combination of timing and location.

“Of course a lot of us would like to see all of the animals helped. Unfortunately the reality is not all animals can be helped,” said one reader.

No. Not all animals can be helped and not all animals are lucky enough to have their own advocate. Animals who do not have someone who is pushing their cause, be it because of their breed, their temperament and yes, their looks, then they have a very tough road.

So why do shelters and rescues go to far flung places to get animals? Because there are animals in far flung places who are in just as much need as the local ones. Saving a life should not have so much to do with location, than need.

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