"Don't you judge our love!"
Posted on 08/29/2007 8:39:38 PM PDT by DancesWithCats
By Joan (Wastlhuber) Miller & Karen Johnson
We are concerned about the pressure for coercive legislation as a means to solve the problem of pet overpopulation throughout the country. Euthanasia of healthy adoptable animals is tragic and the numbers appear to be excessive. The reasons for this are multifarious, therefore solutions are complex and will differ in each community & state. We would like to pass on some thoughts which may be helpful in your area. Awareness and involvement in this issue will help you determine if the proposed ordinance is the best alternative for your community. First ask questions:
1. Does your city/county/state require that all adult dogs and cats being placed from your pounds/shelters be altered before adoption and prior to release from impoundment? This is a critical factor in reducing irresponsible breeding. Is the shelter aware of "early altering" and the number of humane organizations already altering kittens and puppies prior to maturity? A [scientific study] is underway to determine any long term effects of early altering.
2. Is there a provision in the shelter to collect a deposit for future altering but no contract to enforce this and no follow through procedure? The HSUS Guidelines for Responsible Pet Adoptions state that "the shelter must be able to confirm at least 90% of its adopted animals are sterilized to ensure that the shelter itself is not contributing to the pet overpopulation problem".
3. Assure that you receive an accurate count of the real number of animals euthanized at your shelters because they are UNWANTED. Distinguish this statistic from those that are euthanized because they are UNADOPTABLE. The unadoptable count will include healthy animals that are otherwise unsuited for adoption.
(Excerpt) Read more at cfainc.org ...
Kitty Ping! Doggie Ping!
Obviously the purebred breeders want as high a price as they can get for their animals — so they want to eliminate as many options as possible for the consumer.
My sense of it is that there are not packs of feral cats or feral dogs traveling the countryside.
Hey, if it is unconstitutional to forbid a white man from marrying with a black woman, it ought to be unconstitutional to forbid an ol’ hound dog from mating with a poodle.
"Don't you judge our love!"
We got our dog, a mutt, not a purebred, from the local pound. Based on my observation, there is not a big overpopulation problem with purebreds and there is little or no need to require them to be neutered.
We went to the pound several times in the course of several months to find a suitable dog. The vast majority of the dogs at the pound were pit bulls. Maybe it’s different in other areas of the country. We live in an affluent outer suburb of a big city, so this is not an urban issue, nor a rural issue.
We were not too picky about the type of dog we adopted. Our main criteria were that it was medium to large size and that it was not vicious. The fact that it took months to find a dog like this was amazing.
I think another factor may be that there are many rescue organizations that specialize in purebred dogs. So if there is a purebred abandoned, it is far less likely to show up at the pound.
I think cats have a much much more problem with overpopluation. In florida, you can go behind any store and in any neighborhoods and will you find starving ferals. 2 people in my neighborhood, sold and left their unfixed cats. That’s only in the last few years. Some cats were here before that. People are irresponsible. It needs to start at the shelters.....
I think they make very good points. More laws are not going to affect people who are irresponsible, because there’s very little chance of enforcement.
I agree with the article that the best opportunity to make an impact on cat or dog overpopulation is with the animals that come through shelter facilities. I think that should include any animals that are “lost” and then reclaimed by their owners. The owner should be required to pay for spaying or neutering, if it hasn’t been done already, since he has demonstrated that he’s not able to keep his pet contained.
Hey! Excellent point! If the cat or dog isn't spayed or neutered, then it certainly should be before the owners p/u, right there at the shelter and never mind this 'you can get to it later' stuff 'cause people ... don't. Good point, tax chick!! That's what we need. Practical solutions. Rubber to the road. CHANGES!! Good on ya' gal!
Thank you. The idea was suggested by the observation of some of our neighbors, who “just can’t understand how the dog got out ...”.
If owners aren’t as bright as their pets, then the county has an interest in getting their pets fixed. In addition to the reproduction issue, un-neutered male animals are more likely to run away and cause injury or property damage.
You're right about that. It's the kitties that are suffering. But most of them, I don't think, come thru the shelters at all as most have been abandoned by irresponsible owners and are feral now or just being squished into little kitty throw rugs by traffic or mauled by dogs. It's nightmarish.
Yeah. I hear that. We have neighbors whose 2 pit bulls 'escape' on a regular basis. It drives me nuts!! (not that it's related to this story as they don't seem to be having puppies left & right, but their getting out all the time and chasing the kids and barking and chasing our cats ... it's very unfair! They can't fix the hole in the fence after 72 'escapes'???! Clods.)
Dogs don't really go wild. They usually pack with coyotes and follow their actions. There aren't enough of them to legislate against.
Long history made short.
My opinion is a Libertarian one on this issue and that is all legislation is coercive.
No. You’re right. The problem with dogs is not them going feral. It’s the overpopulation of unwanted dogs (pit bulls in particular). And that problem? Raises another very difficult question ... should they be banned? We’re putting pit bulls to sleep by the thousands.
I propose euthanasia for owners who ruin dogs, not the dogs.
Yeah. See? It’s a shame what’s happened to this breed. People are terrified. My daughter has one and he’s the same. A lovely little dog who looks only for love and hugs (he’ll kill ya’ with that little whippy tail though!) LOL
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If mankind wasn’t so arrogant in its ignorance, stupidity and greed, we’d have fewer issues overall.
One of the buried dogs had been burned. Now what do you think this was all about!? Disgusting.
The US is supposed to be different, and dogs and cats are not to be hurt or eaten, yet perverts and idiots abound. Especially when First Families like the Clintons and celebrities with too much money take perversions to heights the likes of which you don't even want to imagine.
ASPCA officers I've met and known tend not to like people very much and I'm having tendencies to side with them.
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