Imagine a World without Animal Rescue Shelters

Over 50 years ago John Lennon wrote the immortal lyrics

'Imagine there's no heaven It's easy if you try No hell below us Above us only sky Imagine all the people living for today'.

With it's wonderful chorus:

'You may say I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope some day you'll join us And the world will be as one'.

Written by: John Winston Lennon Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing.

I recall hearing the US original on the radio back when I was still in school and the imagination of possibilities have remained with me ever since.

Whilst this newsletter edition is not dismissing the vital work that the likes of Reboundog member Joanna Dumas does at The Newfoundland Place.

What I am proposing is that we Imagine a world where rescue shelters are no longer needed to mop up the current wicked societal problems. A world in which the current wicked societal problems no longer exists. Nor is it some drippy happy clappy idea!

I raised this philosophical question during my conversation with Reboundog member Michael Overlie on his Dogs and Men podcast earlier this week.

In which I referred to a TV documentary on BBC, Wilderness with Simon Reeve. In his exploration of the Pacific Ocean’s spectacular Coral Triangle, he discussed a project called ReShark. This had attracted not only indigenous people, but also industry & governments globally to work together for a common purpose.

Where the difference lies between such wicked environmental problems & animal welfare/rescue is that former are based on the need to increase populations of both fauna & flora. Whereas the latter is based on a current global overpopulation of dogs! Over millenia dogs have evolved as working companions to humans, the quantity & need for which has significantly decreased as we have become a predominantly urban species. This results in a scenario where dogs have become domestic pets with a price tag based on the archaic model of property ownership. Then, those that don't fit certain perceived criteria are simply discarded.

We need to 'change our dream', what we believe is sustainable. We need to explore & create new markets to transition from predominantly working dogs to maybe service dogs benefiting disenfranchised people at scale. If we created such new markets, then there is the potential to achieve market value for dogs stuck in rescue / shelters. This is not some drippy happy clappy idea of every rescue will become a service dog! It's about how can we disrupt the problem behind the problem?

What if this became our Purpose?- the probably realistically unachievable shoot for the moon & beyond, guiding everything we do North Star.

What if our Mission & Vision worked towards that Purpose? I may not see our Purpose achieved in my lifetime, but what I can do is sow seeds of collaboration.

How do 'we change our Dream'? To create a world in which the current wicked societal problem no longer exists?

'For this we must plant new seeds' of Conversations & Collaborations.

A space where our conversations are based on Trust, and where they are both Curious & Transparent.

Reboundog Sofa Meet-up March 14th led by our Guest in Conversation Reboundog member Debra Vey Voda Hamilton  A continuation from Sept. '23 Chat about the SA/ESA/TD conundrum & Dec. '23 Where is education needed to benefit SA/ ESA/ TDs?

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