[Umbra]

A cat wandered into our yard a while back and wouldn't leave. After about a week, we called our local Animal Control. They said they couldn't take the cat because the shelter was full. We called the Humane Society, and several other shelters. They all said "Sorry, we are full"

Options:
1. Find someone willing to take it. This is what we did, but it took us a month.


2.Throw it in the Jeep and drive it away and dump it on someone else. Just bad manners

3. Shoot the cat, toss in garbage. I was raised in the country, and that's what we did with stray animals when they were a nuisance. Now people in this area are being charged with "cruelty to animals" and going to jail for doing that. There is a big manhunt on right now for someone that anti-freezed about ten stray, feral cats in an apartment complex nearby.



Locally this has been a hot topic for a couple of years. Animals being mistreated are getting more media coverage than murders. There is one shelter in another county that euthanizes animals, and they are catching hell for it.

I'm all for these "No Kill" shelters, but what good are they if they won't take in a stray? What do we do when stray dogs start running in packs?

Opinions?

 

[havasu]

That is a conundrum. Not knowing exactly where you live, I myself would be posing these same questions into my local newspaper and see what other options are available.

 

[Umbra]

I live in a suburban county near Louisville KY, so we have farmers who lose money and livestock to nuisance animals living within a few hundred yards of a subdivision full of animal lovers.

 

[havasu]

If the politicians in your area are willing to talk with you, or read your e-mail, I would pose this question to them. If nothing else, they will have the abilities to rattle some cages and find out why these shelters are not accepting more animals, especially when I can guarantee the city's general fund is subsidizing them.

 

[RikRotorhead]

Hollowed out cats make great slippers. Just sayin'.

 

[Chris]

If the shelters are full then they need to start putting down animals. It's just like the jail system, just because it is full doesn't mean people should not go to jail.

There is no reason they should not take in an animal or be ok with you taking care of the situation.

The shelter near me has a no question night drop for animals. You just walk up and toss the animal in a metal box on the wall and shut the door.

 

[Umbra]

If the politicians in your area are willing to talk with you, or read your e-mail, I would pose this question to them. If nothing else, they will have the abilities to rattle some cages and find out why these shelters are not accepting more animals, especially when I can guarantee the city's general fund is subsidizing them.

This has turned into one of those unfortunate situations where reasonable people hide out in fear of the loonies on both sides and hope it works out. I see both sides of the argument, but the lady with the sweater wearing poodle seems to be winning the battles.

There seem to be a lot of people around who see animals as little people or relatives on one side (poodle lady), and the other side is the "kill 'em all and leave 'em for buzzard food" crowd.

 

[Umbra]

Hollowed out cats make great slippers. Just sayin'.

and good catfish bait too.

 

[Xpress]

It's one thing entirely if it's killing livestock or whatnot, but another thing entirely if all it's doing is just hanging around.

 

[Umbra]

It's one thing entirely if it's killing livestock or whatnot, but another thing entirely if all it's doing is just hanging around.

Problem with that is that animals rarely just hang around. Dogs will eventually start killing things to feed themselves. Cats will eventually populate an area with a whole bunch more cats. You ever been around or in the crazy cat lady house? Yech.

In a rural setting, dogs will run in packs just like wolves. They can and will become dangerous to humans. A large number of cats will kill a lot of smaller animals that are benficial, rabbits, squirrels, doves, quail etc.

 

[Xpress]

A large number of cats will kill a lot of smaller animals that are benficial, rabbits, squirrels, doves, quail etc.

You don't live where I live. Squirrels are just one of the numerous rodents that overpopulate the area. Quite frankly I'm tired of seeing them on the road, or being ran over by me.