To All the Dogs in Shelters

To all the dogs in shelters, Waiting for their deaths: I hope tonight you dream so sweetly Of fields so big and green; trees so high and protecting— You don’t understand that you’ve been abandoned; Your family is never coming back. I hope you feel safe and comfortable On your final night; And when morning arrives, I hope you still feel happy (Your face shining bright with puppy-ish optimism) As you are led to where you will soon die. I hope the table doesn’t feel too cold on your soft belly, Where you loved to receive pets— The injection won’t hurt you, I can only pray. You are oblivious to your fate, Even as you drift off into a heavy sleep— When you wake up, you will be surrounded by unfamiliar faces But still feel more at home than you have ever been. If only your old owners could have looked past all the defects They claimed you had, Then they would have seen the innocence within your eyes, And never would have left you behind— Just to be killed when the shelter became too full. This is not mercy, but it is not all rooted in evil— It is just people doing what they must do. Thanks to mankind’s unyielding cruelty, Our companions must pay the price.