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I know this won't win me any friends but euthanizing 2500 dogs per year vs "most mainland shelters having 100% adoption rate" just doesn't pass a reality check. There really is nowhere with a shortage of dogs. There really is no way that 100% of dogs brought in would be adoptable.
The vast majority of people who work at shelters hate the idea of euthanizing animals but they do it anyway. Why? Because that's reality. They have a huge workload because the animals just keep coming and they have heard every story in the book. Just be glad they are there because the alternative would be worse.
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"He needed immediate medical attention"
The Humane Society is not a bottomless pit of money.
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/judy-wiede...42493.html
The idea of making a shelter into “the villain” for having to euthanize animals is a strange concept when you stop and think about it. In truth it is our failure, not the failure of an animal shelter: It is those stray cats we feed but do not fix; those puppies and kittens we buy from a pet shop instead of adopting from a shelter; those dogs or cats we abandon upon moving; those dogs we get rid of now that we have “real children;” the dog we never bothered to train who now is a big problem; or those pets we can not afford anymore because we lost our jobs. While HIHS will never judge the heart-breaking choices made by the public, they must also work hard everyday knowing that they did not create the issue of overpopulation, abandonment, cruelty and relinquishment. Having to put an animal down is devastating for them as well. They do it to save other animals. Maybe it is time to stop blaming and start helping?
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The very few shelters I have heard that make high adoption rates statements ALSO state the rate is of their ADOPTABLE animals...
Even "no-kill" shelters have to make decisions that are tough... if an animal is brought to them that needs medical care that exceeds their resources, man will not take the animal...
Some shelters also to work hand in hand with the humane society, &they will try to re-home, and if not successful, & though they do not euthanize, give the shelter a chance (in this county there are transitions of animals between various shelters...)
add:
SO what to do if you find an injured animal & would keep it if the owner is not found??
Take it to the vet, inform the Humane Society & every conceivable venue you have found this animal, & PAY FOR THE VET CARE!!!
If no one comes forward & there is no active chip, the animal will be your pet for life & you will have single handedly saved it`s life... Oh & when it is healthy, make sure it is fixed!
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SO what to do if you find an injured animal & would keep it if the owner is not found??
Take it to the vet, inform the Humane Society & every conceivable venue you have found this animal, & PAY FOR THE VET CARE!!!
Yes.
A vet will care for the animal exactly in the way you request it to be cared for.
A vet will know the status of the animal when you call for information.
You will have 100% control over the situation, which seems to be the main issue addressed in this thread.
Good suggestion and solution to the problem Carey.
"Only fear real things, such as minds full of delusions." -Last Aphorisms
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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Ummm, don't blame the HS, Blame the irresponsible PET OWNERS on this island, it's pretty sick, that some neighbors ((a few houses down) Thank GOD) --- Not sure how I could handle it if they were any closer or NEXT door. But... They obviously have 20-30 dogs over there, and not as pets, but to breed them and profit off of them. Thus sticking them in cages and well, the whine and cry all day long and sometimes all night too.
I dunno what is up with mentality of this island, but... people should never ever BUY a pet, even if you have been looking for years, for that certain breed at the HS, just get a dog, DO NOT support backyard pet breeding, as the dogs are treated poorly.
The HS policy is kill the dog if it has heartworm, and chances are that any dog not cared for or treated with heartworm meds is almost certain to have heartworm sadly. I doubt anyone, I wouldn't want to adopt a dog knowing it has heartworm and for unknown how long the pet has had this condition and therefore it's anyone's guess on how long that pet might live.
If you feel that the HS is not doing their job or they are evil, why don't you go volunteer for a few months and report back to us if you change your tune about the policy or people working there.
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quote:
Originally posted by MarkP
I know this won't win me any friends but euthanizing 2500 dogs per year vs "most mainland shelters having 100% adoption rate" just doesn't pass a reality check. There really is nowhere with a shortage of dogs. There really is no way that 100% of dogs brought in would be adoptable.
I stand corrected and apologize for posting nonsense (I'm not sure where I got that... wishful.thinking.org?). It was surprisingly hard to research this, as most pet-savings orgs cite old statistics (things are improving rapidly regarding adoption rates), but per this source...
http://www.aspca.org/animal-homelessness...statistics
Of the dogs entering shelters, approximately 35% are adopted, 31% are euthanized and 26% of dogs who came in as strays are returned to their owner.
So, nationally, a dog taken in by a shelter has a one-in-three chance of being put down. An abused dog with a torn ear in Puna... yeah, I should have known better.
My main complaint is the lies, evasiveness, and nonsense spouted by the Humane Society personnel. The guy who came to get the dog assured me that he would surely be adopted, noting that he was young and friendly. He wrote down that I would adopt him if need be. The front desk was worse. Just give it to me straight, man.
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If you feel that the HS is not doing their job or they are evil, why don't you go volunteer for a few months and report back to us
Perhaps as a phone volunteer, relaying information to callers about specific animals? The paid workers would probably appreciate the help.
Now, think for a moment. You, as a volunteer, probably would have as little control over what happens to a dog or cat brought in to the Humane Society than a paid worker who currently answers the phone. You start to see how few animals are adopted. You start to see the alternatives are limited. Then a concerned person who brought in an animal calls for an update on the animals condition. What will you tell them?
"Only fear real things, such as minds full of delusions." -Last Aphorisms
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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quote:
Originally posted by ericlp
Ummm, don't blame the HS, Blame the irresponsible PET OWNERS on this island, it's pretty sick, that some neighbors ((a few houses down) Thank GOD) --- Not sure how I could handle it if they were any closer or NEXT door. But... They obviously have 20-30 dogs over there, and not as pets, but to breed them and profit off of them. Thus sticking them in cages and well, the whine and cry all day long and sometimes all night too.
I dunno what is up with mentality of this island, but... people should never ever BUY a pet, even if you have been looking for years, for that certain breed at the HS, just get a dog, DO NOT support backyard pet breeding, as the dogs are treated poorly.
The HS policy is kill the dog if it has heartworm, and chances are that any dog not cared for or treated with heartworm meds is almost certain to have heartworm sadly. I doubt anyone, I wouldn't want to adopt a dog knowing it has heartworm and for unknown how long the pet has had this condition and therefore it's anyone's guess on how long that pet might live.
If you feel that the HS is not doing their job or they are evil, why don't you go volunteer for a few months and report back to us if you change your tune about the policy or people working there.
Good points, Eric. Regarding volunteering... we already have three dogs (one from a shelter, one tiny puppy we found guarding "his" dumpster, and one a few months back from a deceased neighbor)... we've "rescued" 12 animals through the years. If I hung around a shelter with a 97% kill rate, I'm pretty sure we would wind up with about 150 dogs.
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quote:
Originally posted by Carey
SO what to do if you find an injured animal & would keep it if the owner is not found??
Take it to the vet, inform the Humane Society & every conceivable venue you have found this animal, & PAY FOR THE VET CARE!!!
If no one comes forward & there is no active chip, the animal will be your pet for life & you will have single handedly saved it`s life... Oh & when it is healthy, make sure it is fixed!
Solid advice, Carey. Next time that's what I will do.
Edit: Or not. The problem is, I can't realistically take in every stray I encounter... there are WAY too many here. In practice, my new approach will likely be to shoo away the stray. That's kind of messed up, but that's where we are.
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