Sunday, May 3, 2009

Will Warrantless Searches Save NC Shelter Pets from their Executioners?

A vague and intrusive breeder bill being considered in NC prompted an opinion piece in The News & Observer:
These animals come at a cost to taxpayers, who bear the burden of sheltering and killing the unlimited rejects of the commercial breeding industry. Animal shelters are easy dumping grounds for breeders seeking to dispose of animals deemed unsuitable for sale. These sick, genetically deformed dogs are then euthanized at the taxpayers' expense.
To paraphrase - If you don't support this bill, we'll keep killing shelter animals and you'll pay us to do it.

Newsflash: Taxpayers do not want to pay for killing shelter pets because shelter pets should be vetted, redeemed, rehomed, rehabilitated or placed into rescue - not killed. Euthanasia should be reserved to end suffering for those animals deemed medically hopeless or medically unmanageable by a Vet. Further, taxpayers do not want to fund your Breeder Police under a bill so vague that it puts many non-commercial breeders at risk of warrantless home searches.
The SPCA of Wake County does have an agenda: to end the killing of adoptable companion animals and to prevent the cruelty inflicted on animals.

The proven method to end the killing of adoptable pets in shelters is the implementation of the No Kill Equation. Embrace it, own it. Involve your community. We are a no kill nation of pet lovers who cherish our rights as U.S. citizens and won't be fooled into giving them up by scare tactics and misguided legislative proposals. Join us.

4 comments:

BITTER OLD BITCH said...

Dang right, most of these communities (like the one I am from) implement killing as a way to SAVE money (that's how they justify it). In my hometown a cat or dog only has 3 days before getting put down - really not long enough for owners to claim a lost pet. They just don't want to bother with taking care and feeding the animals, they figure it costs them more in the long run to rehome than kill, which is just sad.

But since when did breeders become public enemy #1 and the cause for all the animals in the shelter? Most of the breeders I have ever met were kind and caring people who REALLY REALLY LOVE DOGS, and jump through hoops to make sure their puppies end up in homes they can feel good about. All the ones I met have a real concience - but sadly I can't say the same about some of the "normal" people I know that own dogs (and even some of my friends) that buy dogs based on appearance or status but have no idea how to train or take care of them. Usually if the dog shows some improper behavior (usually caused by poor training or not enough stimulation/boredom)they're the ones dumping the pooch off at the shelter. Not that they are bad people, but many just don't understand what it takes to take care of an animal. I firmly believe that more educational resources would help alleviate the shelter-drop off problems. But instead of implementing programs like free community dog training clinics or giving a bit more education to those that adopt the communities would rather point fingers and place blame on certain groups without even researching.

Kind of glad I live in Sweden now. It sure is a far cry to the situation back home in the US. Over here there really is no such thing as a stray dog. (Cats on occasion, but not dogs). They treat their dogs like royalty here, and each one is valuable. It is nearly impossible to get even a so called "mutt" here for under 3,000 kronar (that's about $373.00 US). With mixed-breeds alone costing so much, as you can imagine we have no shelter dogs, dogs are so valued here nobody would just give a perfectly good dog away. Even old mixed breed doggies that have to be rehomed (due to owner's death for example) get snapped up in a second.

Sad to think about how bad it still is back at home and how many animals are unnecessarily euthanized every day. Education, not blame is the only way to correct that IMO.

YesBiscuit! said...

How very interesting to hear about the dog situation in Sweden. I had no idea.
Breeders became public enemy no. 1 when groups like HSUS (who is behind the NC legislation) began blaming them for the death of shelter pets. We do have some very bad breeders ("puppy mills") who do not properly care for the dogs and do not stand behind the dogs they sell. These large scale breeders fall under the rules of the USDA but they have been falling down on the job for years. Instead of addressing that issue, some groups promote additional legislation to ensnare even more breeders under such punitive laws.

Caveat said...

Blaming breeders is a cool way to reinforce the 'pet overpopulation' lie and work towards the 'no birth nation' without letting the marks catch on.

The last time I was at a shelter, they had a few dogs, mostly collie x shepherd x retriever types. Does anybody believe these dogs are being cranked out by commercial breeders/millers?

YesBiscuit! said...

Oh Selma, you always make me laugh! Following your line of thinking: The "commercial breeders" in my area seem to be cranking out all manner of Pitbull type mixes, Shepherd mixes and lots of big black dogs - they just fill the shelters up with these dogs.