Why do pets die in shelters? I no longer believe in the ‘too many pets, not enough homes’ reasoning because I can’t make the math of hundreds of pets being sold by pet shops, in the newspaper and on the internet each day, gel with the idea that no one wants the pets we have.
The myth that the public simply don’t want to adopt pound animals and that shelters are just ‘doing the dirty work of an irresponsible public’, was dealt another blow recently, when the ‘irresponsible public’ answered the call;
10 May 2010
The Fraser Coast Regional Council is being swamped with dogs caught wandering the streets of Hervey Bay and Maryborough.
Compliance Officer Gaye Ah Quay said 125 dogs had been picked up across the Fraser Coast by the Council’s compliance officers during the last three weeks and only 46 could be identified and returned to their owners.
“That has left us with 79 dogs to re-home which is going to be extremely difficult,” she said.
17th May 2010
Public keen to house unwanted pets
THERE has been a fantastic response from the Fraser Coast public to an influx of unwanted dogs into the Coast’s pounds.
Pancake, Puffy, Two Tone, Roxy, Snowy, Foxy and Sam all have new homes and Bluey and Red are hopeful after a fantastic response from the Fraser Coast public to an influx of unwanted dogs into the Coast’s pounds.
A crowd of people was waiting at the pound gates yesterday, keen to adopt their pick of the 79 dogs needing homes while other people rang offering temporary accommodation for the animals until a home could be found.
Fraser Coast council compliance officer Sally Cripps said the compliance officers were overwhelmed with the response and expected to re-home most of the dogs and several cats.
“It is fantastic to see that so many people care about these animals and are willing to step up when they know there is a need.”
Fraser Coast residents have been willing to adopt pets from local pounds.
I don’t understand why we’re constantly surprised that, when instead of blaming the public for killing, we reach out to them for assistance and they come forward to help us. Thousands pour into the Million Paws Walk, hundreds open their wallets when they hear about a single abused pet and dozens open their homes and their hearts each time a group of pets are saved from a puppy farm.
It’s time to reject the old mantras that the public are our problem and start believing that they are our allies in the fight against shelter pet killing. Whether you believe it possible or not, if we are ever to overcome the “not enough homes” part of our problem, we have to stop denigrating the communities we’re meant to be in partnership with.
Your community does care. They will help you if you ask them to and show them how.
