By: Angie Whitlock, NCHS President
A recent family event brought northeners to my house. They always question the need for my rescue efforts and the euthanasia list put out by our county shelter.
Delta's ready when you are! But then I start thinking; why do northern shelters have so few animals to adopt? What are they doing that we aren't? Is because they are "better" than we are! Heck no! 80 to 90% of owned U.S. pets are sterilized but not one kill-shelter is in the north. Just like my teaching days. 10% of the population causes the problems. Why?
First; have you ever been up there? It's cold! Even animals don't want to get frisky in the cold weather. It's raining and snowing. Are your dogs running around in that? I bet the animals up there aren't running around either.
Second; they have had spay/neuter laws for years. Releasing agencies (animal shelters, etc.) are required in 32 U.S. states to provide for the sterilization of all pets they adopt out and all of those are in the North or West. If a person is adopting an unsterilized animal, then a deposit is required that is enough to ensure the sterilization of the animal. The deposit can be $35 in NY to $500 in Maine. Failure to comply with the sterilization requirements may be punishable civilly or criminally with $500 per violation in Delaware and may impose a sentence of up to 30 days imprisonment.
Third; Like them or not. Animal Controls are necessary. The majority of South Georgia does not have animal control within their governments. There are no clinics for low cost services. It shows. This is a time when they may be doing it better "up there".
We need to put down our muskets and learn from others.
Sterilization should be the law!