A Non-Political Issue --To The Animals' Detriment (Reply)

Amby111 Writes: I agree with you that companion animal overpopulation is a societal problem that requires everyone's help. It is not fair (or logical) to expect a handful of people or organizations to take in every unwanted animal, or for the public to villainize "crazy cat ladies" and rescuers who end up taking on more than they can really care for.

One downside of the no kill movement--in my opinion--is that people have been led to believe that sanctuaries and rescue efforts are the answer to the problem and that every animal can be saved. Unfortunately, there are far more animals for sanctuaries and rescue groups to accomodate. It's important that we also focus on education and sterilization...that is the only way we can begin to address the source of the problem, rather than just the symptoms.

Reply: I want to first thank both you and Ulysses1515 for your thoughtful and highly insightful posts.

I agree with you totally that the public has been hugely misled to believe that there is rescue and "loving homes" for every cast off dog or cat or stray.

Certainly that is not the case as busy gas and decompression chambers and "Euth Rooms" in shelters across the country prove day after day and year after year.

For the past two days I stayed away from my computer mostly because I couldn't bear seeing the long list of animals to be destroyed just before the major holiday. (Memorial Day is the worst of all, because it represents the beginning of "summer fun." -- Unfortunately, there is no "fun" for all the animals dumped just prior to people leaving for summer jaunts.)

Sure enough, as I came online this morning, there were over 100 emails and "urgent request alerts" most of which, I had to delete. The Euth lists -- as expected -- were extraordinarily high. 27 dogs on one day alone at the Manhattan shelter. Cat death lists that included pure bred Maine Coons.

I questioned the other day if I had been an "enabler" when trying, years ago, to help place cats for a woman who took in too many and could never say "no" to anyone seeking to dump cats.

On a larger scale, I believe many of us in the animal protection/rescue cause now need to question if we in fact, have become "enablers" to an entire system that saves the few to the detriment of the many and like "collectors" seeks to mostly hide the truth from the public.

A system that says on the one hand: "Yes, we are on the road to no kill! Yes, we have rescue and homes and 'happy endings' for the animals! Yes, bring us your unwanted animals! They will be fine!" and on the other hand (to those rescues who take in more animals than they can responsibly care for): "Beware the animal collectors or hoarders!"

Do we as rescuers or "no kill shelters" play into this obfuscation by emphasizing to the general public those animals we save and find loving homes for while not talking of all the animals we can't save or those under our care we are unable to place?

There are animals who linger in no kill shelters (or rescues) for years.

Were no kill shelters to admit this, they would be accused of "not doing enough" to find the animals homes. "Why aren't you advertising more?" "Why not give the animals to nursing homes?" (As if nursing homes take in strays!) "There are loads of people out there happy to adopt Special Needs animals!" (And yes, there are people willing to adopt blind dogs or deaf cats or animals on 3 legs. But, try finding people to adopt cats with litter box problems or dogs with chronic and costly medical issues).

While concentrating on saving these dogs or those cats, we as a "movement" (ha, ha), have mostly ignored the causes of the problems, whether they be ignorance/neglect to spay/neuter, lack of humane education in the schools, weak and uninforced animal cruelty laws, unfair and inhospitable pets in housing laws, lack of affordable veterinary, boarding and grooming care -- especially in poorer areas of the country.

As noted, by poster, Ulysses1515, we have failed to make animal protection a political issue.

And it is that, more than anything else that represents our greatest failing. -- PCA

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A Non-Political Issue --To The Animals' Detriment (Reply)