I know how it feels!!! People drop off their dogs around here all the time (we live in the country as well) Plus, my neighbors have like 30 cats and dont take care of them. A few come over and i feed them (we have cats, so i always have big bags of food). Its not even their actual food hunger that hurts me, its their hunger for love. They have been so betrayed by their owners, yet they are so loving and trusting to me and my family. One actually climbed up a tree to rub on my shoulder!!! It broke my heart. I wish i could save them all.
Also, some people around here (teenage boys in particular) are extremely cruel to animals, for their own sick pleasure. Personally, i think if your kids are cruel to animals, you have failed as a parent, unless your child has a mental sickness. Simple as that. Your child is lacking in empathy, sympathy, compassion, etc.
We saved all our cats, not from a shelter, but from random places. We took a small, pathetic, malnourished little tabby and turned her into a 15 lb "Queen of the house" Her name is Honey. Another cat, Gracie, was living in a nasty NASTY house. Then, our oldest cat, Oscar, was a barn cat. We got him as a kitten, then soon learned after that most of his brothers and sisters were eaten by coyotes
I am quite the animal lover. We have 12 chickens, 3 dogs, 3 cats, and 2 cockatiels. I am already planning to go to vet school, so i can help animals for a living. Thats my dream!
I just wish people would stop viewing animals as disposable and start treating them as though they have feelings. Which, they do. If you say they dont, you are helplessly dumb. (sorry, im quite opinionated on this subject)