Have you ever had a broken heart? Felt rejected? Confused?

Have you ever been in a relationship where you felt totally in-love, safe, and that it was forever? You felt that the two of you were meant to be and you just couldn’t spend enough time with him or her, right? You were loyal, affectionate, and demonstrated your love everyday…..

Then without warning, you suddenly were cast aside for any number of reasons.

“It just wasn’t working out.”

“I want my space.”

“I’m moving away.”

“You’re too needy.”

Etc.

You get the idea, and the resulting shock and heartache is almost unbearable. You think it over and rethink it, yet it makes no sense.

Well, now go into the mind of an innocent animal that felt true devotion to someone, and maybe a family of someones to only be cast aside one day. They can’t think it through or try to make sense of it. They can only pine away, and watch each day for their person(s) to return to get them. They have no way to try to understand desertion, either to be wandering alone trying to take care of themselves or to be sitting in a cage somewhere perhaps with their future being euthanasia.

This might be a very depressing post, but I really am heartbroken seeing so many animals neglected, abused, or deserted. Can you just imagine the sadness they endure? Dogs, especially, even if fortunate enough to be adopted into a loving home, would years later demonstrate uncontrollable joy at the sight of a previous family member. They remember and they forgive, even when they shouldn’t.

These animals are what make up the great number of rescued animals available today, and they deserve so much better from each of us. They deserve love, loyalty, and protection. They deserve responsible people who will make sure they don’t continue to produce more unwanted offspring to be cast into this world. They deserve kind and gentle treatment, and proper nutrition and clean water.

It’s 2014, and what we can still witness today, is people who view animals as things. Too many people have total disregard for the fact that these wonderful living and breathing creatures experience emotional as well as physical pain. How can this message not be common knowledge by now? Why is this lesson so hard to get across?

Teach a child. Tell children how much animals feel and how strongly they can become attached to their people. Tell children they need to be kind and loving toward animals. And children need to learn to not be tolerant of other people demonstrating anything but the same kindness toward any animal. Teach and demonstrate to children that an animal is not a possession that can be disposed of once they are tired of it.

Animals should be brought into a home with the intent of a lifelong commitment to them. They need to be a permanent part of the family. They need us to feel empathy for them and know they too experience heartache.