Mammia Mia – driving animal sheltering back into the 80’s

For the oh-good-grief files…

I kill animals. I kill animals that are sick or elderly, poorly socialised, aggressive or scared. I kill fluffy puppies and cute kittens… I think of the countless animals that are relinquished to us for no fault of their own and end up in a body bag because they weren’t coping in the gaol-like atmosphere of the shelter… open door facilities, like the one I work for, are forced to accept animals who will never be candidates for rehoming… Some animals were hit and some sexually assaulted. Some were starved… no one feels the pain more than those doing the killing themselves… I know that in the current landscape of overbreeding and irresponsible pet ownership, that euthanasia is a tragic necessity… I kill animals because I know that with me, the animal I am euthanising will have a quick, painless release from a world that is too callous to care for them… I would like to think that the animals will forgive me as I am only a person making sure that this necessary evil is done in the kindest possible way.

I am a murderer but I do it for love

The most disappointing thing isn’t that Mammia Mia has put out into the public domain more of the defeatist drivel which keeps the Australia animal management system mired in a culture of killing. Not only have they given this person a anonymous chance to put forward the case for killing, without any possible chance for anyone to review their actual performance (what was this pound’s return to owner/kill rates?).

Perpetuating the myth that shelter killing is acceptable, that ‘overpopulation’ kills pets, that shelters are brimming with abused and unrehomable animals, and that we should support shelters who kill because they ‘have no choice’ is damaging to pets. To do so in a general media space is extremely so.

Vegan or no vegan – YOU are what’s wrong with animal sheltering in Australia.