- This Costs The States
2 Billion Dollars A Year
By Devvy
6-9-11
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 It's common knowledge at this point that
almost all the states of the Union are broke; dozens are in dire straits
because of public pension obligations. But, what about areas of expenditures
that are directly caused by lack of personal responsibility by citizens
of the states?
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- In this case I'm talking about the sickening pet over
population that can be brought under control. Think it silly and trivial?
The $2 billion dollar figure is fact and the reason we have this pet over
population is because too many people who adopt dogs (and cats) simply
will not take responsibility for their pets. I want to tell you my personal
experience earlier this year because this problem is simply heart breaking
even if you aren't a pet owner.
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- Last August my little Dusty died suddenly without warning.
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- My muffin man blew an aorta in his heart; there was simply
no way to save him. Dusty was adopted from the Sacramento County Pound
(April 2000).
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- My other little man, Mr. Willy, I had to send to doggie
heaven on December 27, 2010.
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- Willy was about 13 years old and had respiratory problems
for quite some time; I had to let him go. There was no Christmas because
Willy spent Christmas eve at the vet; I knew he had only a few days left.
My handsome boy was also adopted from the Sacramento County Pound (September
1998).
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- Both times I visited that pound, it was horrible. Cage
after cage after cage of desperate faces looking for someone before death
comes calling. Abused dogs recovering from starvation, beatings, disease
and mistreatment. Puppies found without their mommy. Old throw aways no
one wants.
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- In January 2011, I went looking again for new furry friends
for life. If you've owned dogs as I have all my life, the house becomes
unbearably empty when our babies die. Armed with my boxes of Kleenex, I
started local in Howard County, Texas, where I live; both the county pound
and to the non kill shelter where I donate a few dollars each month. I
moved on to Midland about 40 miles away and visited both of their county
pounds, the SPCA and three no kill facilities. So many faces, I could barely
stand to walk the aisles of cages. Lots of used Kleenex. I finally went
to PetFinderto continue looking. Much to my dismay, just the State of Texas
had listings for more than 340,000 dogs; some cats and a few bunny rabbits
and guinea pigs.
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- Choosing new furry friends has to be done carefully so
it works for you and the pet(s). Too many people choose the wrong dog for
their situation (like a Great Dane when you live on the 21st floor of a
skyscraper and are gone 12 hours a day) and end up dumping the dog at a
local pound or shelter.
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- I looked at about 2,000 dogs and ended up with a list
of about eight I wanted to adopt. Owning a dog isn't cheap anymore. I've
carried pet insurance for my babies for almost 20 years. There are many
very low cost plans that are affordable. One just has to tailor a plan
for your dog's age and your budget. I would loved to have adopted all eight
on my list, but just not possible. My first adoption, January 22nd was
Muffin. She is a sweet, beautiful two year old Westie. A throw away on
the street in San Angelo, Texas, turned into a local rescue last Thanksgiving
Day.
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- On March 5, 2011, I adopted my second little girl, Missy.
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- She was about six months old; found on the street in
Odessa, Texas, another throw away. Some kind hearted soul turned Missy
into a local shelter. I call her my high octane girl. Both of my little
girls are such a joy and are best of friends. I am so blessed to have found
them.
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- Muffin was not spayed and she had heart worm when I adopted
her. With careful treatment, she's heart worm free and I had her spayed
April 12th. I have pet insurance policies for both of them.
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- Between five and seven MILLION dogs are euthanized every
year because selfish people do not take the time to get them spayed and
neutered. The "dog pounds" across this country are overflowing
with dogs from every size and description. There are low cost spay and
neuter clinics all across this country; some vets will even donate the
surgery if you show how much you love your pet, but are having difficult
financial times. Vets love their patients, too.
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- Do people do it? No. When I adopted Dusty I encountered
the typical air head in line while waiting to pay the adoption fee. The
chick in front of me was groomed with highlighted hair, the nails and make
up done. She had a box of adorable kittens. I ask her if she was giving
them up for adoption. Yes, because, surprise, surprise, the mother cat
got out. I doubt those six kittens made it out of the pound as Sacto County
has a very high euthanasia rate. Did it not occur to mush head that if
her female cat got out and was not spayed she might get pregnant? I'll
bet she never forgets the time for her hair appointment.
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- We all pay taxes in every county in this country for
pet control. Yet, those same taxpayers are too self absorbed to understand
that if they don't get their pet spayed or neutered, it ends up costing
them more in tax dollars because "the mother just got out" or
animals are removed from the homes of cruel people who mistreat them and
end up at kill pounds.
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- It costs a ton of money to operate county pounds. They
try to provide what medical treatment they can under strained budgets.
Pregnant mothers are dumped who have litters that need to be fed for months
before they're available for adoption, drugs to put them down, body disposal,
the enormous cost of food and facilities. Because people do not assume
the adult responsibility of making sure their pet(s) doesn't reproduce
more unwanted animals, those of us do who end up paying more and more in
taxes.
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- We don't have to have this terrible problem in this country,
but its gone on for decades. Mandatory spaying and neutering by county
pounds isn't enough. Most of the shelter and rescue groups I inquired from
don't have the money to spay and neuter every animal they take in but do
require the procedure to be done if you adopt. That cost is built into
the adoption fee. Unfortunately, too many of them allow dogs and cats to
be adopted without making sure they will be fixed. That needs to change.
This country doesn't need anymore animals when there are millions who need
a home.
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- If you know someone who has a dog or cat who has not
taken the time to get them spayed or neutered, please let them know how
important it is to get them fixed. For humane reasons as well as the enormous
cost of trying to take care of nearly 10 MILLION dogs and cats taken to
county pounds (or picked up on the streets) every year.
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- Two other problems that need to be addressed. First,
county pounds across this country chip dogs and cats. Those chips inserted
below the skin are dangerous. Dogs and cats across this country are dying
after developing cancer and suffering other serious health problems because
of them. Here in Texas, due to activists presenting the facts to county
officials, many counties no longer chip dogs and cats. Not only are they
dangerous, if the chips don't get read properly by scanners because of
multiple frequencies, owners are not located in time and your beloved pet
is put down. (See link 2 below)
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- People like me will not adopt dogs with chips which eliminated
a couple on my list. There was an adorable Westie mix named Lexie available
in Conroe, Texas. A seven hour for me, but I was willing to make it. However,
I found out she has a chip, so I didn't adopt her. I just can't go through
the heart break of a friend for life dying six months or a year after I
adopt from a horrible cancer tumor simply because county officials and
state legislators won't take the time to understand how dangerous those
chips are for dogs and cats. Not to mention the state legislators who receive
campaign donations from vile corporations like Merck.
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- If counties want to get more dogs and cats adopted, stop
chipping them. When enough people find out about the danger of cancer and
those chips, they won't adopt because they can't afford high vet bills
and don't want to watch their pet die a horrible death.
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- While I fully realize shelter and rescue organizations
work so very hard to find homes, I encountered a lot of absurd "conditions"
for adoption. Questionnaires ten pages long asking every question imaginable
under the sun. Many of the questions were too personal and not necessary
to adopt a dog, so I simply declined. Dedicated people spend a lot of time,
money and love in saving throw aways. I know they want to find good homes,
but some I contacted had such arrogant attitudes, you would think they
were finding a home for the King of England.
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- The shelter I adopted Missy from wanted to have someone
inspect my yards and home. I honestly don't have a problem with that; too
many people don't have secure yards. Fortunately, the lady who volunteers
to do that has family only two houses down so they already knew about my
house and secure yards. However, just a friendly word of advice from a
responsible pet owner - maybe treat us less like criminals instead of people
who want a new pet to love and will provide a good, safe home.
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- A lady sent me email the other day expressing her frustration
in trying to adopt from a shelter in Wyoming. She drove the 150 miles only
to find the dog had been moved to another facility and the circus ensued.
I was appalled. Anyone who is willing to drive 150 miles to adopt a dog
is serious about that animal. I think a little more cooperation can go
a long way towards making adoption easier for everyone. Otherwise, a dog
or cat might be denied a good home simply out of frustration by the person
wanting to adopt.
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- $2,000,000,000 a year in taxes for a problem we the people
can cut down by 90% if everyone takes the responsibility of getting their
pet spayed or neutered. $2,000,000,000 a year in taxes badly needed for
essential functions and services within the states.
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- Stay away from puppy mills. Make them unprofitable because
they are evil entities in my opinion. Most of my dogs have been from the
county pound; my little Keeley who died in 1998 from an enlarged heart,
was a throw away on Highway 80 in Wyoming. I found her on the side of the
freeway and took her home. She was a treasure. If you have room in your
heart and home, please consider adopting from a pound or shelter/rescue
first. Thanks, friends.
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- http://www.devvy.com. You may also sign up for her free email alerts.
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