Showing posts with label animal shelters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label animal shelters. Show all posts

Friday 1 November 2024

Los Angeles pounds are poorly mismanaged, abusive houses of horrors

This is a fictional image of a dog pound created by AI. It looks nice doesn't it? Shame all dog pounds (shelters) are not as clean and colourful.


The words of the title come direct from someone who is the best qualified to write them: Nathan Winograd. This post is a reworking of his email to me. I hope he accepts. I want to get the message out but I have limited time.....

A recent report from the City Controller's Office indicates that Los Angeles shelters are euthanizing dogs at unprecedented rates. In August, the latest data available, 226 dogs were euthanized in L.A. shelters, marking the highest number since January 2022. Additionally, over 250 cats were euthanized in July, the highest figure recorded since that date. The kitten save rate plummeted to its lowest in July, with only 69% being saved.

The report suggests the cause is a staff that is incompetent, indifferent, and abusive.

Moreover, there has been an uptick in euthanasia, with dogs languishing for extended periods in dirty kennels without walks, often lacking clean water and comfortable bedding. This neglect leads to heightened stress, which then becomes a pretext for Los Angeles Animal Services to deem them "unadoptable," despite their health and good temperament outside of these conditions.

Simultaneously, cat rooms remain largely or completely vacant, as staff members reject stray cats, causing widespread abandonment. Near one shelter, volunteers have taken on the responsibility of caring for many abandoned cats.

Investigations by the Los Angeles Times have also revealed rabbits suffering from severe injuries, guinea pigs left without food, and hamsters confined in cages soaked with urine and faeces. Furthermore, when a staff member confessed to hitting dogs, it was the whistle-blower, not the perpetrator, who faced repercussions.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a motion that assigns blame for the killings in their animal shelters to various parties, excluding the actual responsible parties — the shelter's director and staff. The Supervisors also agreed on proposals that are unlikely to significantly reduce the killings, including the endorsement of potential statewide legislation. 

Moreover, a Los Angeles Times investigation revealed that the county's shelters are euthanizing more dogs, despite a decrease in intake and promises of increased adoptions facilitated by new facilities. The report highlighted violations of county policies by staff during euthanasia, a failure to consult with rescue groups beforehand, and inadequate visiting hours for potential adopters. The article did not address a key factor contributing to the rise in euthanasia: staff preventing non-profit organizations and No Kill shelters from rescuing animals, even upon request.

Rescuers have taken legal action against Los Angeles County under the Hayden Law, which prohibits such killings. The Court of Appeal ruled unanimously that shelters cannot euthanize dogs if rescue groups are willing to save them, barring cases of severe suffering or documented dangerous behavior. Despite this, the county continues to implement policies that circumvent this ruling. While the shelters may be modern, the staff's outdated attitudes result in a high mortality rate for the animals.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also, sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. And, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable. Finally, (!) I often express an OPINION on the news. Please share yours in a comment.

Wednesday 9 October 2024

Marissa wanted to adopt one shelter cat but came away with two brothers


This is a classic. What I mean is that some kind people can't turn away from the obligation to adopt two cats at a shelter if those cats are bonded. It is a product of kindness and decency. Marissa Monteleone (@mydogsdope), 30, must be both kind and decent and an animal lover. And sometimes it is necessary to adopt two bonder pets together.

She visited the shelter with her husband with the intention of adding a cat to her family. They spotted a cat that they had fallen in love with online but when they arrived they found out that this particular cat had a brother who wasn't listed on the website. She explains:
"The shelter told us they weren't bonded and that they would be fine if we separated them. My husband and I immediately looked at each other and knew we would be leaving with both. We have two dogs already, Pluto and Astra. So, we brought the cats home and named them Rover and Cosmo to stick with our space theme."

The video shows them snuggled up together. Viewers understand why they've been kept together. They have adapted to their new home and adjusted to the new environment and met their canine siblings.


For a while, Marissa kept them separated from the dogs so they could become comfortable in the new home. As it happens, they never left each other's side. Rover is curious and loves to play while Cosmo is very sweet and a bit shy compared to his brother. They are, it is said, opposite but they complement each other.

The story is about going into a shelter to adopt one cat and coming out with two because you want to keep the cats together. This is a great act of kindness in my view and I think necessary if cats are very close which these two are. Of course you take a double the commitment which includes near double the expenses over the rest of the cats' lives.


The story comes from Newsweek. Thank you. 

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also, sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. And, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable. Finally, (!) I often express an OPINION on the news. Please share yours in a comment.

Thursday 29 August 2024

Animal shelters need an open-door policy to save lives


America's greatest advocate for shelter animals is concerned that many animal shelters in the US are sticking to pandemic methods for potential adopters and requiring that they make an appointment rather than allowing people who want to adopt a shelter animal to simply turn up and have a look. This is leading to more killings of shelter animals because of less adoptions according to Nathan.

America's rescue centres need to revert to the pre-pandemic methods asap to save the lives of shelter animals.

Nathan Winograd says this in an email to me:
"A new study proves that requiring an appointment to adopt out animals leads to fewer adoptions — and fewer adoptions leads to more killing. The No Kill Advocacy calls on “shelters” to open the doors."
I confirmed this through ChatGPT which said the following:

Yes, it is true that some animal shelters in the US have shifted to an appointment-based system for adoptions rather than allowing walk-ins, and this change has been linked to a decrease in the number of adoptions.

This trend gained momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many shelters adopted appointment-only systems to manage social distancing and reduce the spread of the virus. While this system helped shelters manage the flow of visitors and ensure that they had enough staff to assist each potential adopter, it also had some unintended consequences.

Critics argue that requiring appointments can create barriers for people who might otherwise adopt on impulse or visit a shelter on a whim, leading to fewer animals being adopted. Potential adopters may find it less convenient to plan a visit in advance, and some may be discouraged by the additional steps required to schedule an appointment.

On the other hand, supporters of the appointment system believe that it can lead to more thoughtful and prepared adoptions, as it gives shelter staff more time to assess potential adopters and match them with the right animals.

Overall, while the appointment-only system can have benefits, it is true that in some cases, it has led to a reduction in the number of adoptions.

Nathan adds:
Data shows that shelter intakes remain below pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, 6.8 million dogs and cats entered U.S. shelters. In 2023, that number was down to 6.5 million. In 2024, that number continues to remain below the baseline. Despite this, dog killing is up 12% from pre-pandemic levels, and cat deaths are up from 2022.
And the following:
Not surprisingly, allowing people to visit the kennels without an appointment led to increased adoptions. Moreover, adoptions didn’t just increase slightly during these periods; they skyrocketed by 82%. This was also true of large dogs, which pound managers argue are the most challenging to adopt — and are often killed in greater numbers. Despite limited hours when people could visit the kennels without an appointment — two days a week for a meagre 2.5 hours each of those days — those hours accounted for 83% of large dog adoptions. This one change — ending pandemic-era closures by fully opening to the public without an appointment — will vastly increase adoption and significantly reduce killing.

Comment: is this change in MO a sign of post-pandemic laziness? It makes life easier for shelter administrators if visitors have to make an appointment. There are less people milling around the shelter. I sense that this new MO is down to shelter administrators wanting an easier life.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

Monday 19 August 2024

Houston animal shelter closes because of a lack of funds and wider issues

A Houston-area animal shelter called "Adopt-a-Cat has had to shut down after 30 years of operation because of a combination of unfortunate circumstances, the most important of which is that the Covid-19 pandemic changed the world and it appears to have changed the amount of disposable income people have and therefore can give to charity.

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I think this is due to the fact that after Covid there was high inflation which resulted in financial hardship and also countries had built up debt. Businesses were disrupted and lifestyles were also disrupted. People had to tighten their belts and therefore some charities lost out.

And sadly, this has happened to Adopt-a-Cat. The founder is Dr. Beverly Harper. She says it costs about $7000 to care for the cats and pay for the shelter's three employees per month I believe. It's an expensive business. But they've  been successfully operating since 1994 but they no longer have the money to keep going.

Dr. Harper said that the donations started to dry up during the Covid-19 pandemic and after the pandemic there are few people willing to donate which has been compounded by recent storms apparently in the area.

Dr. Harper said that "People don't have the money that they had [and] they're doing things like getting rid of the trees in their yard". I take that to mean the trees that have uprooted by the storms.

It became clear to Dr. Harper that she would have to close. She says that she is a realist and she knows that everything ends. The shelter has stopped taking in new cats and are hoping to adopt out the remaining cats at the shelter (80).

Sadly, some people still dump cats at the shelter in boxes outside despite being told that they are not taking in any new cats.

My research indicates that many animal shelters in the Houston area have been experiencing financial struggles. The factors contributing to this unfortunate situation include:

Increased demand: There are high intake rates animals due to overpopulation and abandonment according to my research. This might also be linked to the post-Covid situation causing financial stresses and other disruptions to normal lifestyles.

Limited resources: many shelters operate on tight budgets and rely on donations and volunteer support. It's quite troublesome to keep things going sometimes.

Rising costs: there have been increase costs as we know due to inflation and these include increase costs in veterinary care and pet food. And also maintenance expenses have increased making it harder for shelters to sustain operations.

Economic impact: there is a broader economic aspects to this as mentioned which can reduce donations from the public and impact fundraising efforts.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

Wednesday 1 May 2024

How many animal shelters are in the US?

American animal shelter. Utopian image.
American animal shelter. Utopian image. 😊💕😉

As of 2024, there are over 3,900 animal shelters in the United States. These shelters play a crucial role in caring for and rehoming companion animals. Let’s delve into some additional statistics related to animal shelters:

Annual Intake

Approximately 6.3 million companion animals enter U.S. shelters each year.
These animals include both cats and dogs.

Adoptions

Around 4.1 million shelter animals find loving homes through adoptions annually.
It’s heart-warming to know that many people choose to adopt and provide forever homes to these animals.


Stray Animals Reunited

Of the animals that enter shelters, approximately 810,000 stray animals are successfully returned to their owners.

Reuniting lost pets with their families is a significant achievement for shelters.

Remember, these shelters work tirelessly to provide care, love, and second chances to our furry friends! 🐾❤️.

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Remember to that the US is indebted to Nathan Winograd the founder of the No-Kill movement and North America's greatest advocate for shelter animals.

Here is some information about Nathan:

Nathan Winograd is an attorney, journalist, and passionate animal advocate. He serves a the Executive Director of The No Kill Advocacy Center. Let’s explore more about his impactful work:

No Kill Advocacy

Nathan Winograd has been a driving force in creating No Kill communities across the United States for nearly two decades. Under his leadership, Tompkins County, New York, became the first No Kill community in the U.S. This achievement marked a significant milestone in animal welfare.

Background and Expertise

Nathan is a graduate of Stanford Law School and has a background as a criminal prosecutor and corporate attorney. His experience extends to various leadership positions, including director of operations for animal shelters.

Legislation and Litigation

Nathan Winograd has authored animal protection legislation at federal, state, and local levels. Notable examples include: The first American law making it illegal to kill community cats unless they are irremediably suffering. A law making it illegal to kill animals if qualified rescue groups are willing to save them (saving over two million animals to date). The Delaware Companion Animal Protection Act, credited with reducing state-wide killing by over 90%.

Investigative Journalism

His investigative journalism has exposed corruption within prominent animal protection organizations, including PETA, the Humane Society of the United States, and the ASPCA. Nathan’s tenacity has led to legal victories, including extending reporter shield privileges to non-traditional media.

Vegan Advocacy

Nathan and his wife Jennifer have co-authored two vegan cookbooks: “All American Vegan: Veganism for the Rest of Us” and “All American Vegan Candy Cookbook”. These books showcase delicious and humane plant-based recipes for America’s favourite foods and confections. Nathan Winograd’s unwavering commitment to animal welfare continues to make a positive impact on the lives of countless animals. 🐾❤️

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Wednesday 24 April 2024

What would be a cat's reaction to changing owners?

The answer to the question in the title depends on the context. At one extreme, sometimes domestic cats voluntarily change owners albeit fairly rarely. They move out of their owner's home, jump over three or four fences and into the home of their new owner where they are well cared for. This might happen if the cat has got used to their owner's neighbour and prefers him or her. The desire to move may be reinforced by the fact that their current owner is not very good. The cat's reaction will be one of pleasure and contentment.

At the other extreme, a domestic at is abandoned to a shelter, suffers a lot of stress inside the shelter and then his adopted perhaps a month or two later into a new home where there are other cats and of course where the owner is a stranger. This will be very stressful all the way for this cat who has changed their owner. The change has been forced on them.

The default reaction by a domestic cat to a change in owner is anxiety because as we all know domestic cat get used to their owner and often domestic cats are fearful of strangers. But that response, too, depends on the cat's character. Some cats are confident and some cats are timid and some cats are in between. Confident cats tend to accept new owners far more easily than timid cats. And they might be the kind of cat who walks into a neighbour's home and learn to like it as does the neighbour!


The picture below was made by AI. It shows a man gifting a cat to his girl. I did not ask the AI computer to do that! 💕🤔. It is still good though and the cat is changing owners! 💕😊


Domestic cats change owners all the time in the general world of cats. That's because there are millions of cats passing through animal shelters in for example America where many of them are rehomed. They have a new owner. Sometimes of the cats are very happy to have a new owner because they have been in a shelter for a long time.

Sometimes shelter management put a notice on the cat's cage to tell adopters that this cat needs to be in a quiet home with no other cats. That, too, would be the default scenario for a cat changing home. I mean the new home should ideally be quiet. The new owner should be very pleasant and loving and ideally should follow a routine and be at home a lot. Result? Happy cat after some initial anxieties perhaps.

As I said at the beginning it depends on the context and the circumstances. The default is anxiety and sometimes it is pure pleasure for a cat learning to live with a new owner. And even when their is anxiety, provided the new owner is good and a good cat caretaker, the cat will get used to their new caregiver quite quickly and all will be well until the end of the cat's life.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Monday 25 March 2024

Somebody TOSSED two cats in a box into an animal shelter lobby and RAN

This is another example of how some people surrender their cats and obviously it isn't the best way. Sometimes people surreptitiously arrive at the doors of an animal shelter and leave two or three cats in a cardboard box outside to be collected the next morning which is dangerous for the cat if it's in the middle of winter.

Other times they give up their cats in cruel ways but on this occasion the Brother Wolf Animal Rescue center in Asheville, North Carolina, United States Of America, reported that, "Somebody tossed two cat in our lobby. They opened the door, tossed a box in, sliding it across the floor, then ran out to a car waiting in the road that sped away."



Guilt?


How does that look to you as an outside observer? I'll tell you how it looks to me. It looks like they feel very guilty about what they're doing and they don't want to confront the shelter staff and explain to them why they are surrendering their cats. 

But this is stupid behaviour. No one is going to judge them. No one is going to criticise them. Shelter staff will, I am sure, accept cats surrendered even if the reasons are poor. That's because their primary objective is to care for unwanted cats and find a new home with them.

So it is very stupid to abandon cats in this way. Far better to face up to it and admit that you can no longer care for your cats and hand them over. You don't even have to explain why you are surrendering the cats. You just surrender them. You don't have to justify it.


It does indicate a cowardice on behalf of the people who tossed this box into the shelter lobby but I don't want to be too critical because we are all human and we are all, in some way, vulnerable and have our own weaknesses.

Still high numbers of cats given up


The cats' names are Juniper and Theodore. They were written on the box. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reports that annually in America, 6.3 million pets are surrendered which equates to 17,260 per day. Obviously, I'm sure that 99% of them are super surrendered across the counter in the animal shelter and not in the way described.

Stressful experience


We all need to be reminded sometimes that animal shelters are stressful places for cats and dogs to be rehomed. They are strange places. They are noisy places with strange people and strange goings-on. They are confined to cages and it's very difficult for them to behave normally and in an attractive way to do their best to find an adopter.

One caption on the video of the above-mentioned surrender said, "We always try to give people the benefit of the doubt. Not make quick judgments. Check our biases. Not to shame them for needing help. Some days, it is really hard to do that. Today is one of those days."

The video is on Instagram from the above-mentioned shelter. Sometimes these embedded videos stop working so if it has stopped I apologise but I don't control it.


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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Wednesday 20 March 2024

Riverside County told a woman with a neonatal kitten to put him back on the street

This news comes from one of my favourite animal advocates, Nathan Winograd, in the United States who is the founder and campaigner of the No Kill shelter policy saving many thousands of lives.

He has reported on Riverside County Department of Animal Services. He has described their actions as "obscene". He is correct.

He said that last week Riverside County "told a woman who found a neonatal kitten - with his eyes not yet open - to put him back on the street. She left in tears. That kitten was entitled the foster care and then a loving home. And as obscene as Riverside County's policies, they are not alone."

Comment: I'm shocked. It's completely unthinkable but it happened.



Mr Winograd also reports on Orange County Animal Care. He says that they are doing the same thing. He cites another example. Here it is, in his words.

"For example, when a pregnant cat showed up in the yard of a Good Samaritan and then gave birth, the woman did what she thought was responsible: allowed the kittens to nurse and then wean before taking them all — mama and kittens — to the shelter.

Shelter staff told her to return the feline family to where she had found them."

Remarkable. Apparently the woman explained to them that the female cat might not have a home. She didn't have a collar or tag and was pregnant when she was found. The kittens had no home to go to because they weren't born. The staff at the Orange County shelter still turned her away telling her "to release them back on the street".

As I said, remarkable. Callous. Insensitive. This cannot be right.

These rescue cats deserved a lot better. Sometimes it is applicable to put cats back on the street where they came from if there are unsocialised and not lost and reasonably healthy and sometimes cared for by TNR volunteers. But when cats are socialised, lost and unclaimed then they deserve to be found a home via a rescue center. The two organisations referred to did not discharge their duties.

These are my views and the views of Nathan Winograd. Different people have different views including of course these shelters referred to. I respect those views but strongly disagree with them in this instance.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Wednesday 28 February 2024

Why does the no-kill cat shelter policy mean that 10% of the cats are killed?

You may have wondered why the much vaunted no-kill animal shelter and cat shelter policy results in 10% of the cats being killed. Surely "no-kill" means no killing whatsoever? I'm afraid not. 

What it does mean is that there is no killing i.e. euthanasia of healthy cats but exceptions are made for cats with severe medical conditions that cannot be treated causing significant pain and poor quality of life and cats with severe behavioural issues that pose a danger to life to humans or other animals and where rehabilitation efforts are unlikely to succeed.


These cats are euthanised. The term euthanasia would genuinely apply to a chronically ill and terminally ill cat but under any other circumstances it wouldn't really apply. We have to use the word "kill" under circumstances where the cat is euthanised because of behavioural issues.

There is a muddying of the waters in terms of the language used at cat shelters. However, the no-kill movement - which is the brainchild, as I understand it, of Nathan Winograd, American's greatest advocate of saving the lives of shelter animals in America - has reduced unnecessary euthanasia.

The no-kill philosophy focuses on saving all healthy and treatable animals and with that in mind it can dramatically reduce the number of animals euthanised due to the limits of space at shelter facilities and time limits.

The concept is there to focus the minds of managers and workers to use their best possible practices and imagination to find ways to save lives. And there's been a quite dramatic - I think it's fair to say - increase in the number of no-kill shelters in America over the past decade.

The euthanasia rate has dramatically dropped in America over the past decade too. It's still pretty high but much better. There is still work to do.

Some people decry the no-kill movement. I've read quite a lot about PETA but once again there is misleading language used against them in my view. But they seem to believe that killing feral cats is preferable to looking after them and putting them back on the street under TNR programs. 

I think that is a misleading idea about PETA. But ironically Nathan Winograd is in a running battle with PETA about saving cats and killing cats. Nathan Winograd hates PETA as he thinks that this very high-profile animal charity kills too many cats. Either they promote the idea of killing feral cats or they kill themselves and he consistently says this. It's a shame because both of great animal advocates. We don't want people on the same side fighting each other over policy decisions.

I'm told that in 2017 a milestone was reached when for the first time the total number of dogs and cats euthanised in US shelters fell below 1 million. The actual number is estimated at 800,000. I'm also told that it is difficult to obtain accurate data on the number of cats killed 10 years ago compared to the number of cats killed today at shelters. There's been a reduction though so no-kill has worked to a good extent but more work needs to be done.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Saturday 24 February 2024

Marlin's police chief, city manager and animal control officer accused of animal cruelty

NEWS AND COMMENT/OPINION: In Marlin, Texas, USA, the police chief, city manager and animal control oversee a dog shelter (dog pound). And within that dog pound there were dogs that were starving and living in filth and on the verge of death. Many had died. It was a vision of Armageddon in the dog shelter world.

Marlin's police chief, city manager and animal control officer accused of animal cruelty
Starving dog at Marlin's dog pound. Image: KWTX.

This appears to have been a complete failure by the city officials in caring for shelter dogs. It's the kind of failure which would normally result in arrests and prosecutions of the administrators of the shelter. 

But, as we know, when the authorities are the alleged perpetrators of animal abuse they are protected because they close ranks and the law is not applied equally. The old adage that everyone is equal under the law is simply a false concept.

In this instance, Marlin's mayor promised accountability but has so far failed to deliver according to Nathan Winograd in his email to me.

There's been a promised investigation by the Falls County Sheriff's Office which has not materialised. Sheriff Joe Lopez of that office said that dogs were not his priority! Yes, we understand that anywhere on the planet, for the police, dogs are not a priority and neither are cats.

The police are invariably engaged in speciesism by which I mean they prioritize humans over companion animals.

As a consequence of this failure of the authorities to act, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has become involved and he is reviewing the case. He told local news reporters that "the Marlin Animal Shelter investigation is now one of his top priorities."

The residents in the area are becoming restless and irritated by the lack of action. They are protesting according to local news reports (which is why the Governor is involved 🙄). They want accountability. A local news station reports that multiple dogs were found dead. They must've starved to death.

Around 40 peaceful protesters are demanding change. They've been protesting in Moody, Temple and Thornton to demand that Marlin's city manager, animal control officer and the police chief be arrested for animal cruelty under the law. They want prosecutions and they want accountability.

The mayor, Susan Byrd, said, "As a proponent of dog rescues we are all working to cooperate with the investigation by the Falls County Sheriff's Office. Upon completion of the investigation, the City of Marlin will do our best to ensure the responsible parties are all held accountable."

It would seem to me that she is in charge and therefore she should also be accountable 🤢. The local newsgathering station that I referred to here, KWTX, said that they tried calling the Marlin Police Chief multiple times for his comment but nothing was forthcoming.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Monday 12 February 2024

Impending roof collapse forces animal shelter to clear the building

NEWS AND VIEWS: Cape Breton Shelter was forced to clear the building of dogs, cats and one rabbit over fears that the roof might collapse under the weight of heavy snow that fell during a snowstorm that lasted four days.

The Cape Breton SPCA in Sydney, N.S., as it appeared on Tuesday. The organization says there are concerns the roof could collapse under the weight of snow.
The Cape Breton SPCA in Sydney, N.S., as it appeared on Tuesday. The organization says there are concerns the roof could collapse under the weight of snow. (Sarah Lyon - image credit)

When Sarah Lyon was interviewed by CBC's Main Street Cape Breton in an interview on Wednesday, she said that staff were "prepping the animals and getting them ready for evacuation."

At the time the shelter had 45 animals including 19 dogs, both adults and puppies, and 25 cats and one rabbit.

The snow storm lasted four days as mentioned and staff stayed with the animals as they heard creaking sounds coming from the roof while it bowed under the weight of the snow.

Sarah Lyon said that the ceiling was starting to look structurally unreliable.

The shelter animals will be placed in other shelters until it safe to return. In the meantime a contractor went to the shelter to remove snow and ice from the roof. The building is 47 years old. Comment: that isn't very old but I guess they had to evacuate the building out of an abundance of caution. Questions should be asked about the original construction.

The report by CBC implies that the building will need work in order to test the structural integrity and potential repair. Comment: repairs might be expensive which is the kind of expense that an animal shelter does not want.

Further comment: is the first time that I have encountered a news story about an animal shelter where the roof might collapse under the weight of snow. I've been reading stories about shelters for the last 15 years so this is a novel situation which is why I am reporting it.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Saturday 13 January 2024

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania has passed a law banning the retail sale of commercially bred cats

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA, has passed a law (ordinance) which bans the retail sale of commercially bred dogs, cats and rabbits in pet stores. People should understand that pet stores generally acquire animals from Commercial Reading Enterprises (CBEs). A more common term for these businesses is "puppy mills" or "kitten mills". A description which signifies that the animals are churned out with little regard for their health and for ethical breeding standards.

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania has passed a law banning the retail sale of commercially bred cats
Image courtesy Nathan Winograd's newsletter.

Nathan Winograd writes that, "CBEs engage in systematic neglect and abuse of animals, leaving severe emotional and physical scars on the victims. One in four breeding dogs have significant health problems, are more likely to suffer from aggression, and are psychologically and emotionally shut down, compulsively staring at nothing."

He paints a horror story and thankfully under the new law pet shops can partner with rescue organisations if they want to stock animals for sale/adoption.

The law that is mentioned is one which is becoming increasingly commonplace across America in an acceptance that it is unethical to allow pet shops to purchase dogs from abusive breeders when there are many unwanted companion animals at shelters nearby.

This law will help to encourage people to adopt and rescue animals rather than purchase them, to educate the community about dog and cat puppy mills and kitten mills and thirdly to stop the abuse of these animals.

I'm told that the number of CBEs has declined by 30% across America. In Nebraska, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture's records show that 50% of the state's commercial dog and cat breeders have left the business.

Bethlehem City Council unanimously passed the new ordinance last Tuesday. News media reports that there are no current pet sellers affected by the law but it will stop future businesses doing deals with puppy mills and kitten mills. And of course it sends a very strong message to the community.

The ordinance states: "A significant number of dogs and cats sold at pet stores come from large-scale, commercial breeding facilities where the health and welfare of the animals are not adequately provided for.”

A council member, Grace Smith, said: "I know our furry friends in Bethlehem and throughout the communities, as well as their families, are very grateful."

The penalty for a pet store from selling or offering to sell a cat, dog or rabbit will be a $500 dollar fine for every animal offered in violation of the new ordinance.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Thursday 11 January 2024

Heart disease (HCM) affects 1 in 7 shelter cats as per a study

The title may seem concerning to readers. It certainly concerned me which is why I am writing about it. The information comes from a scientific study so it is pretty sound. The researchers tested 1007 cats over the age of 6 months in shelters. They were all healthy on the face of it.

Tabby shelter cat keen to be adopted. Image in the public domain.

Of the 1007 they obtained 'complete data' for 780. 40.8% had a heart murmur. Although I understand that this condition does not automatically mean that the cat has heart disease. That said the percentage is high.

"The prevalence of HCM was 14.7% ". Yes, 15% of the cats or around 1 in 7 cats had HCM which is a common type of feline heart disease called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The left ventricle enlarges and the heart malfunctions.

The scientists concluded with the following words:

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is common in apparently healthy cats, in contrast with other cardiomyopathies. Heart murmurs are also common, and are often functional.

I am unsure what the phrase 'often functional' means in this context. Taking a common sense interpretation it means that the heart although diseased functioned.

Comment: 15% is a high percentage. It encourages me to believe that tests for HCM should be conducted on all shelter cats as a default procedure. The study might not represent the general shelter cat population.

If I was adopting a shelter cat I think I'd ask about HCM and whether they did tests.

Study details:  Cardiomyopathy prevalence in 780 apparently healthy cats in rehoming centres (the CatScan study). Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvc.2015.03.008

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Sunday 7 January 2024

Adoption rates have declined from US animal shelters due to increased living costs

I've been doing some research on animal shelters and adoption rates in the United States. Euthanasia rates are linked to adoption rates. The picture is a little confusing but overall it would appear that fewer people are adopting animals from shelters than they were before the pandemic. There are added complications. Some shelters have not opened as they usually would have, which was the norm before the pandemic, which puts a barrier between the adopter and the shelter. This slows adoption rates.

Adoption rates have declined from animal shelters due to increased living costs in the US
Adoption rates have declined from animal shelters due to increased living costs in the US. Image: MikeB

Also, because there was a surge in adoptions during the pandemic, the marketplace encouraged people to go into dog and cat breeding. Now that purchases of dogs and cats has decreased, it's left breeders with a surplus of animals. My guess is that some of these animals are finding their way to animal shelters.

Some animal shelters are overcrowded with some overcrowded quite dramatically. One website says that animal shelters in America are 'broken'. Some are under extreme pressure being oversubscribed at about double their normal capacity. There aren't enough adopters because, as mentioned, people are more cautious in America and elsewhere about the cost of cat and dog caregiving which has climbed with inflation to a point where it becomes untenable for many people in the lower echelons of earning capacity.

Nathan Winograd, in his newsletter to me, says that 753,022 animals were adopted in America during the 2023 Home for the Holidays campaign. That's good news he says but it's almost "half a million below prior year totals because fewer shelters are participating and others are refusing to fully open post-pandemic, offering fewer adoption hours and increasing bureaucratic obstacles, such as requiring an appointment before visiting. As a result, they are killing more animals, despite fewer intakes."

The problem is not the number of intakes to shelters. These have remained fairly stable on my understanding of the situation. It is a reduction in people prepared to adopt shelter animals which is the cause of what might be described as a growing crisis at some shelters.

The Colleton County Animal Shelter in Walterboro, South Carolina would seem to be a typical example.  Laura Clark works there and she says that they have 65 permanent dog kennels. Sixty are available because they like to keep five open at all times for new dogs. At the moment they have 195 dogs in their care. Of those, 141, are at the shelter full-time. They are at more than double their capacity.

Clark says that when she first started working at the shelter they took in over 3,000 pets per year which is come down to around 2,000. But the problem as mentioned is adoptions for the reasons stated. 

Also, there might have been a backlash to unethical breeding. During Covid-19 there was a lot of unethical breeding; breeders producing unhealthy dogs which has been discussed a lot on the Internet. This educated people about the problem. They are now more cautious. This has possibly resulted in less purchases of dogs and therefore reduced the intake as mentioned at shelters.

But post-pandemic attitudes have changed about dog adoption. I presume by the way that the same applies to cats. Most of the discussion on this topic is about dogs which is why I have referred to them in this article.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Wednesday 27 December 2023

American families dump pets as costs surge

NEWS AND COMMENT: Although some shelters have quite definitely gone against the grain in terms of having too many cats and dogs to rehome [check out the empty shelter], in general, The Times reports that US families are dumping pets as the cost to keep them has become untenable. This is mainly due to inflation and lack of proper long-term budgeting, I believe.


The Times reports that American animal shelters are at their most overcrowded in years. The reason? Fears over the economy. And the end of boom times when many dogs and cats were adopted during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

I feel (I hope not harshly) that many people adopted dogs and cats who shouldn't have. This was impulse adoption without really doing due diligence to figure out the costs and even more importantly to check out the health of the animal that they were adopted. 

That last point particularly applies to the French Bulldog which is one breed which is being dumped on shelters faster than many other breeds. Clearly the owners have found out how expensive they can be to take care of.


However, many adoptions were carried out responsibly. Many people relinquishing their companion animals have lived with them for a long time. It's be tough for some to consider relinquishing their pets.

However, according to the Shelter Animals Count, there are an estimated 250,000 more companion animals in shelters this Christmas then there were over the same period last year.

And it appears that many if not most kennel operators say that they are in crisis. Their facilities were already overcrowded before the Christmas festivities.

As mentioned there was a sharp rise in pet ownership during the pandemic. One in five households in America had a companion animal according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

There are fears over the economy in America and the rising cost of living. The cost of owning a pet is out of reach for many. They decided to abandon their animals.

Kim Alboum, of the Bissell Pet Foundation, an animal welfare organisation, said that "The economy right now is really challenging for a lot of families. And with the housing crisis, people are losing their homes and our having to downsize or move in with others. And this is a recipe for disaster for people that have larger dogs."

The Times reports that shelters are experiencing a big influx of puppies in particular including those of the French Bulldog breed as mentioned. There's been a period of inflation recently in America resulting in vets and pet product businesses raising their prices making it even more expensive to be a pet owner.

I'm told that veterinary prices jumped by 9% from November 2022-November 2023 according to the Bureau of Labour Statistics. Pet food costs rose by 5.6% over the same period.

Sarah Barnett runs an animal shelter in Philadelphia. She says that she has seen hard economic times which has challenged pet owners financially.

She said that people are losing their jobs have to decide between putting food on their table or feeding their companion animal. They've been left with few options.

Obviously, many people giving up their companion animals have had a very long term and good relationships with them. And I agree with Sarah Barnett in that not all people self-indulgently adopted cats and dogs during the pandemic. 

Lesson?


The story really highlights a very valuable point namely that looking after a companion animal properly is expensive. You can't do it properly on a shoestring. Perhaps the first stage in the adoption process is to check your budget, work out the maths, and make sure you maximise the chances that you can and will be able to afford to look after your new friend to a good standard for the remainder of their lives.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Monday 25 December 2023

Animal shelter has a true miracle at Christmas: empty cages

Brilliant empty shelter at Christmas at the Adams County SPCA in Gettysburg
Brilliant empty shelter at Christmas at the Adams County SPCA in Gettysburg. Image: Facebook

What better Christmas gift for shelter staff than achieving the Holy Grail of sheltering: all cats and dogs adopted for Christmas? None left at the shelter. It is empty except for the staff twiddling their thumbs! Well not quite because there was one tabby kitten (believed) remaining for adoption probably because he came in quite recently.

The shelter I am writing about is the Adams County SPCA in Gettysburg and they announced their miracle moment on their Facebook page.

The post says it all. It is the first time in 47 years that they have been empty (bar one kitten who I hope has been adopted by now).


"It's a true miracle. To say that we are beyond excited is an understatement."
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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Monday 27 November 2023

Experiences before and during stay at animal shelter leaves dog terrified (video)

This is not news. It is pretty obvious if you know anything about animal shelters and the kind of life dogs and cats can have before they are rescued. The combined experiences can leave the cat or dog terrified. It may be be that the shelter alone scares the dog because they can be scary places.


Perhaps they can sense that death is around the corner. If they've been placed on a list of dogs to be euthanised, perhaps some of them sense this and understand that their death is impending. We don't know. But dogs are very sensitive and intelligent. It's certainly plausible to suggest that they might understand that their lives are in danger.

Combine that with the small space they are living in. The sterility of the place. The noises. The unnaturalness of the environment and you might have a scared dog.

A dog might have come from a good home and then suddenly thrust into sheltered life which would be a great shock to them. Either way, the video we see on this page is not, in my experience of researching these matters, unusual. This dog looks terrified. She won't even turn her head towards the person petting her. You can see that they have covered her up perhaps to make you feel more secure.

One great problem with a dog becoming scared like this is that it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. Dogs that are scared and timid and hiding or trying to hide become unadoptable. This means that that they are earmarked for euthanasia.

Or perhaps their reaction will be aggression in defence of what they consider to be a hostile environment. This also can make them unadoptable.

It just looks to me as if like this video indicates a failure in dog domestication. This is what it has come down to in this instance. It shouldn't be like this.

Fortunately, I can report that this dog has been fostered and once they live in a foster home they often flower and their personality comes out. They behave more normally and become unadoptable. 

That simple step of going into foster care can save their lives. Perhaps you know all about this because it's quite common knowledge but if not this little video which I find very difficult to watch might be instructional.

Experiences before and during stay at animal shelter leaves dog terrified (video)
Terrified dog at animal shelter. Screenshot.
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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Sunday 5 November 2023

America's animal shelters don't care enough about saving lives (according to a celebrated animal shelter advocate)

The voice of America's displaced pets and the conscience of the animal sheltering industry, Nathan Winograd, claims that "uncaring and corruption are endemic to the [animal shelter] industry [in the US]"
A New York animal control officer was arrested for stealing Hope, a family’s 9-year-old dog. After Hope was found by a neighbor and taken to the local shelter, the officer sold her to people in Ohio. When Hope’s real family came forward, the officer told them that she had died. Hope is now back with her family. While animal control insiders want to pretend that the officer is a rare bad apple, the tragic fact is that uncaring and corruption are endemic to the industry. And though the facts of this case may be somewhat unique, uncaring and corruption aren’t. - Nathan Winograd

Nathan Winograd was motivated to claim that America's animal shelters don't care enough about saving lives and that there is corruption at an unacceptable level within the animal shelter industry, by a story currently on news media which reports that an animal control officer, Casterline, 51, stole a Yorkshire terrier whose name is Hope and then sold the dog to an unsuspecting purchaser.

Hope had been lost in Corning, California, and then found and taken to a local SPCA (Chemung County) from where Casterline picked up the dog and took her home and then eventually sold her to a family in Ohio.

I believe that this is little Hope. So pleased that she/he is back with their true owner. Image: Nathan Winograd's email.

The original owners of the dog became suspicious and telephoned the local police who investigated. Through a telephone number they discovered the family in Ohio who had bought Hope. This family released the dog which must have been difficult to the police.

The true owner of Hope had become very distressed because Casterline had told them that their dog had died.

Hope was then reunited with the original owner while Casterline was arrested for various misdemeanours including theft and he will be tried in the criminal courts. He has resigned his job.


The big issue here is perhaps not the story of Hope which ended well, but the statement by Nathan Winograd. He clearly has a very negative viewpoint of America's animal shelters.

And I think it comes from the fact that he is a world expert in no-kill animal shelters and he insists upon high standards and the employment of various methods to ensure that the maximum number of shelter animals are rehomed and their lives saved.

He criticises many animal shelters for failing to use efficient and widespread methods to save lives. He accuses them of being lazy and hiding behind rather feeble excuses such as there are too many dogs and cats coming into the shelter and not enough adopters to take them off their hands. Often this isn't the case. It's just an excuse. An excuse to wriggle out of responsibilities. That would be the argument of Mr Winograd.

Another excuse is that the animal is unadoptable because of their behaviour. But shelters create bad behaviour in animals because they are relatively inhospitable places with strange noises and lots of commotion. A shy animal will become reclusive and difficult. They will be deemed unadoptable. Or the animal might become aggressive when approached because they become defensive thanks to the environment in which they are temporarily incarcerated.

This, too, will allow the shelters to kill the animal being deemed unadoptable. This applies to both dogs and cats. For example, in New York City shelter the authorities deemed it acceptable to kill animals that were 'mentally stressed'. They decided it was better to kill them than to take them out of the shelter and place them with a foster carer where they wouldn't be mentally stressed. It is that kind of thing I'm talking about.

Nathan Winograd should know because he is an expert as stated.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

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