Animal Control & Then Some

Posted Tuesday, August 4, 2009, at 11:08 AM
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  • Amy, you sound like one of those Midwestern people who think the sun rises and sets on California (having lived in both California and Nebraska I can tell you that it DOES NOT). You reference the mandatory spay/neuter ordinance in Los Angeles as being "progressive". What exactly is progressive about killing MORE animals in the shelter? That's right, I said MORE. Since the implementation of LA's ordinance, the number of animals killed in the shelters has gone up 30%. Part of this number is due to the economy; however, neighboring counties have only seen an increase of 5-10%. This has happened everywhere mandatory spay/neuter has been implemented. That is why the dog and cat-loving citizens of California worked to kill the state-wide mandatory spay/neuter law proposed here several years ago.

    Something else also happens with mandatory spay/neuter laws. The number of people licensing their pets goes down as well so now you have a bigger problem and less money to deal with it. Sounds like a winner to me....

    Limit laws are not a good idea either (in addition to being unconstitutional). Some people can adequately take care of 10 animals while others don't have the sense to take care of 1. Animal cruelty/neglect statutes take care of the people who can't figure out how to care for their animals.

    In regards to your feral cat problem, your community needs a trap,neuter,release program. The cats can be vaccinated at that time. Vaccines cost a LOT less than what your vet charges for them, as in $1 or $2. If you really want to find out what works get a copy of Nathan Winograd's book Redemption. He is the gentleman that turned city after city into No-kill.

    -- Posted by Former Nebraskan on Thu, Aug 6, 2009, at 12:28 PM
  • I do know what vaccines cost, I help with inventory at the clinic I work in. Cheap, unreliable vaccines cost 1-2 dollars. Better quality vaccines are a bit more. I've also been on the Humane Society board of directors for 12 years.

    Yes I understand mandatory spay & neuter isn't a solution. Nothing is. There is no one answer, no real solution. Only education and responsible ownership.

    I would love it if we had a Trap/Neuter/Release program in this community. We do not have anyone who has the funds to donate to do this(unless you'd like to donate a couple grand to get this started). The veterinarians don't have the time, they work for more than dog & cat owners. They also care for cattle, horses, goats, etc.

    Thank you for your input. I wish more people would share their opinion.

    -- Posted by amystrauch on Thu, Aug 6, 2009, at 1:25 PM
  • I have mixed feelings about the entirety of the proposed program, but I have noticed an increase in reports of vicious dogs.

    I am not in favor of "breed bans". Those treat the symptoms, not the disease. Pit bulls ("American Staffordshire Terriers") are not a problem due to the breed of the DOG, but most often due to the "breed" of the OWNER.

    Two of the four dogs that left me with no choice as to how to handle them were pit bulls. Two were owned by people with extensive criminal histories. One was owned by a seriously mentally disturbed individual.

    Again: the problem is not the dog, but the owner.

    Note: there is NO proposal for ANY sort of "breed ban".

    As for feral cats, the proposals make perfect sense: license domestic cats so that they can be identified as such, and do not feed feral cats.

    -- Posted by Owen McPhillips on Sat, Aug 8, 2009, at 11:52 AM
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