Alternative to Euthanasia at Pet
SheltersDutch Salmon wrote an interesting and informative column about the above subject.
Pet euthanasia and mandatory spay/neuter of pets are controversial topics for pet owners and owners of hunting and working dogs.
There is a new book that offers both a virtual end to the
killing and a measure of freedom to the responsible dog breeder. The title of the book is: "Redemption: The myth of Pet overpopulation and the No Kill Revolution in America" (Almaden Books, 228 pgs., $16.95). This book is by Nathan Winograd who is a lawyer and self-desvribed "ethical vegan." He writes "Shelter killing is the leading cause of death for healthy dogs in the U.S. Five million are killed every year. In 1994 San Francisco became the first city in the U.S. to end the killing of healthy homeless dogs and cats in
shelters. The "No Kill" movement it inspired has the potential to end the notion that the best we can do for homeless dogs and cats is to adopt out a few, and kill the rest."
Animal rights groups, while meaning to do the right thing, have many times focused on punishing dog owners with restrictive and mandatory legislation that doesn''t work since responsible people act responsibly whether there is a law or not, while irresponsible people merely ignore the law. Failure to comply with these laws often resulted in the pet''s impoundment and death, so the effect is sometimes to exacerbate shelter killing.
San Francisco shelters adopt out nearly 80% of impounded dogs annually; Tompkins County, N.Y. typically adopts out over 90%; and Charlottesville, Va. saved 87% of dogs in 2005 and 92% in 2006. Some of the ways they accomplished this: Mandatory spay/neuter for all shelter residents; optional but subsidized spay/neuter programs for any dog whose owner is interested in the service; community outreach to bring dogs to prospective owners; cheap adoption rates; a working relationship with breed clubs whose members volunteer to find homes for their breed of dog; creative advertising and advantageous shelter hours to match dog to human; and other practical techniques.
Once you commit to "thou shalt not kill", innovations seem to be acquired to accomplish this commitment.
Dutch Salmon may be reached at: dutch@high-lonesomebooks.com
Abstract Writer''s Comment: We don''t live in a perfect world but if we can reduce the suffering of the animals we call "pets" while we continue to kill them in our shelters, we would be one step closer to being true humanitarians.