Keep Fido inside

Dear Editor,

With the sweet smell of spring in the air it is hard to keep your family dog confined at all times. After a long, cold winter, all creatures become more active and inquisitive about their surroundings, including us two legged ones. It's the change of seasons that cause dog fights, traffic trauma and stimulate intact female dogs to go into heat leading to many unwanted puppies.

City ordinance require all dogs to have a rabies shot and each owner is given a tag with an identifying number and veterinarian's name on it.

When stray dogs are brought into the animal shelter they are immediately checked for identification as to the owner or if they have a rabies tag, the veterinarian is then contacted to identify the name of the owner.

They are contacted to inform them of the whereabouts of their dog. If a citation is issued by the police department, for whatever reason, it must be taken care of before the pet is released to the owner.

Too many times stray dogs are found in a variety of circumstances and brought into the shelter without any form of identification making it impossible to find the owner. They are then listed in the local Gazette and on the local radio station in hopes that the owner is alerted to their pet's whereabouts. Otherwise the shelter employees have to wait for the owner to contact them.

If the dog is not returned to the owner in 72 hours they become the Humane Society property and are put up for adoption. Every effort is made to find new homes for these unwanted pets and most of the time new homes are found. There is no time limit on keeping dogs, whether surrendered by the owner or brought in as a stray, it is just the matter of health and adoptability of each animal and space in the kennel.

So to insure the safety of your family pet, take good care of them, follow your local ordinances and keep identification on them at all times; also follow the leash laws so you are in control of them at all times. They are in your care and their love and affection for you is never questioned by them.

Sincerely,

Marilyn Cuellar

and other members

of The McCook Humane Society