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Too many strays put to death
By A TIMES EDITORIAL
Published March 13, 2007
One of the busiest operations in Hillsborough County government also is among the most heartbreaking. Every year, about 30,000 dogs and cats are put to death simply because they have no home. At the county shelter, where employees work to transform strays into pets, 82 animals are killed each day. That's more than three every hour, every hour of the day, every day of the year. The toll is numbing - from 23,827 in 2001 to 29,248 by 2006. This is a wretched scope of animal cruelty that the county, finally, looks ready to address. Hillsborough is about to embark on a three-year project with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The animal welfare group will provide up to $600,000 and a range of technical expertise to help reduce the number of unwanted animals brought in to be killed. Officials will promote spay and neuter services, offer programs to make pet owners more responsible and work with government and nonprofits to address animal welfare issues specific to Tampa. Hillsborough, for example, euthanizes four of every five animals brought to the shelter. Its adoption rate is nowhere close to Pinellas' or Pasco's. The county has a large number of stray cats, dog fighting is a problem and groups have had trouble advertising their services to non-English speaking residents. Hillsborough County and the area's private animal welfare agencies should be proud the ASPCA picked Tampa as one of its partners in 2007. Bill Armstrong, who runs the county shelter, has tried for years to put the needless killing on the radar screen. Slightly fewer animals were euthanized last year than in 2005. Beyond improving the "save-rate" at local shelters, the campaign should make owners more aware of the costs and responsibilities of having a pet. It says the worst of our throwaway society that euthanasia is how we deal with otherwise loving, healthy animals turned out to stray. The county needs to keep the program, called Mission: Orange (the color of the ASPCA logo) in the spotlight.
[Last modified March 12, 2007, 22:43:17]
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by Tom
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03/13/07 04:20 PM
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We need a state law mandating that all cats and dogs not being bred for show or sale be sterilized.Then we need to make pet sterilization accessible and affordable to all. It's not only humane, but economical in the long run.
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by Gladys
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03/13/07 11:09 AM
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There are so many unwanted animals of all types - dogs, cats, birds, horses.
There should be a moratorium on all breeding of animals, purebred or not. Maybe then the thousands of currently available animals can find homes.
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by John
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03/13/07 10:56 AM
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Has anyone ever considered passing an ordinance requiring all cats and dogs to be spayed or neutered at time of purchase unless you are licensed to breed them? This would address the problem at the root rather than trying to deal with symptoms.
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by Del
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03/13/07 08:06 AM
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With all the science in America why has no one come up with a contraceptive to add to the food to feed strays.Many of us take pity on stray animals and feed them,wrong?but thats how it is.
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by grimmy
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03/13/07 05:51 AM
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This state needs a law that NO dog or cat be allowed that is not fixed. Control of pets will only happen when the puppy mills are shut down .....
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