Why Don't Residents Bring Strays to Local Animal Shelter?

Residents of Barnwell Co, South Carolina are reportedly concerned about the high number of stray pets in the area. There is an animal shelter so I wonder why people don't take strays there so they can be cared for until they find permanent homes. Maybe it's because they know that's probably not what will happen to pets admitted to that shelter. Standard operating procedure at the shelter apparently includes a local Veterinarian who comes by on Fridays to kill pets for space but the shelter fills up again by Monday.

Anyone else see the insanity here?

The community should feel confident that any pet taken to a shelter will be sheltered and, in most cases, properly cared for until adopted by a new owner. That's what animal shelters are for - to temporarily care for lost and homeless pets until they can be reunited with their owners or new, permanent homes can be found.

A weekly shelter cycle of death and despair serves neither the pets nor the residents of the community and obviously isn't helping with the local stray problem. So why would we continue funding such an enterprise? Wouldn't the limited available funds be better spent saving animals' lives and offering more low cost neuter clinics? There is already a team of community volunteers in place - let's not squander their good faith investment by putting them to work on killing pets instead of saving them. I'm sure that's not what they signed up for when they agreed to donate their time.

The answers to the area's stray problem lie within your grasp, Barnwell County. Reform: It's a good thing.

Stray Dogs in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is a little smaller than the state of Connecticut. Like some of the southern states, rescues in Puerto Rico send some of its stray dogs (known as "satos" locally) to the Northeast for adoption. Since shelters in the Northeast are short on dogs and Puerto Rico has an estimated 150,000 stray dogs, it makes sense to network on rescue efforts:

After nearly 15 years of Sato importation, New England is surely home to the highest concentration of these former strays of anywhere off the island. And they have a devoted following. Satos tend to be on the small side (under 30 pounds) and they come in many unusual combinations, just like Valiente [a Chihuahua/Border Collie mix]. Chihuahua genes are pretty common, as are enormous ear spans, stubby legs, and a penchant for sun bathing. Their gratitude at being given a second chance is often palpable.

Approximately 2000 stray dogs are rehomed in this manner every year in Puerto Rico. Which leaves us 148,000 more in need of help. The state is roughly 3500 square miles in size. If the estimate on stray dog numbers is accurate, that works out to approximately 43 strays per square mile. Think of a square mile in your neighborhood. Now put 43 stray dogs in there. Repeat the exercise times 3500 square miles and you can imagine the challenges and difficulties facing rescuers in Puerto Rico. I wonder if there is any access to low cost neuter in the state or if they even have any actual shelters. I wonder what more they need by way of assistance. Anyone?

Humanity Fail, Courtesy of SC Lt. Governor

In case you were wondering why SC Governor Mark Sanford wasn't tossed out on his Appalachian Trail hiking ass, it's because our Lt. Governor, who would have been his replacement, is a freak. Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer is seeking the Republican gubernatorial nomination and as such, spoke at a town hall meeting last night on the subject of providing government assistance to those in need:

"My grandmother was not a highly educated woman, but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals. You know why? Because they breed. You're facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person ample food supply. They will reproduce, especially ones that don't think too much further than that. And so what you've got to do is you've got to curtail that type of behavior. They don't know any better," Bauer said.

Setting aside the equivalency Bauer draws between stray pets and poor people - yeah I know, that's a HUGE one to try and set aside - I can't help going back to the words "ample food supply". The idea that we would deny any living creature - mind you, Bauer was discussing kids who get free lunches at school - an "ample food supply" when it is within our power to give them access, well that's not the America I grew up in nor is it the South Carolina I have grown to love.

We feed stray pets for many of the same reasons we provide free school lunches to low income kids:

1. We are a humane society.
2. We have enough resources to share so that no living thing needs to go hungry in this country.
3. We feel a sense of responsibility to those in need because they are members of our communities.
4. We're not freaks.

Although there was no chance I would have worked to support Bauer's campaign before, I now have extra motivation to work for his defeat. Game on, dirtbag.



It is necessary to help others, not only in our prayers, but in our daily lives. If we find we cannot help others, the least we can do is to desist from harming them. - Dalai Lama

My Pet Goat

No this isn't about the George W. Bush library and no it's not MY pet goat - she actually belongs to the neighbor's Pitbull and they both came over to spend the day in our front yard yesterday along with a couple of stray dogs. The goat was raised with the neighbor's six Pitbulls and she is apparently very loyal to this one:









The gang is all still here today (one of the strays is in heat) and I'm not sure what we're going to do. I called Animal Control yesterday about the strays but the way our AC works, you just leave a message and they respond... whenever. I'm guessing they won't be checking messages until Tuesday due to the holiday and wondering if perhaps the neighbors are out of town as well. One of the strays is emaciated but both are friendly. Oh the trials and tribulations of rural life.