From: diannes@milton.u.washington.edu (Dianne Schoenberg)
Subject: Re: Cats Under Beds
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 23:58:48 GMT

In an article (myers.722109540@bach, 18 Nov 92 17:59:00 GMT) myers@nosc.mil 
(Margaret E. Myers) writes:

> In San Diego we have both the Humane Society (a private organization) and
> the city (or is it county) run Animal Control Shelter.  Perhaps your city
> has the same thing. I have never tried to adopt an animal from the city
> shelter but I can't imagine them putting you through the third degree.

Here in the Seattle area we have six shelters, four of which are operated
by various local governments, two of which are privately-run.  The
municipal shelters are no less careful about adopting out animals than the
private ones are.

> They don't even make people sign their animals in.  They have various
> size cages out front so the cowards can just drive up, drop the animal(s)
> off and drive away.  

They do this because the alternative is to pick up the animals after the
owners have turned them loose.  People ARE awful cowards when they know
they are doing something shitty.  Even with the cages-out-front system,
people regularly come to the shelters in the middle of the night and leave
their animals tied to the doorknob--they don't want anyone to even SEE
them abandoning their charges.  Forcing people to sign their animals in
would only increase the number of abandonments, and thus the suffering of
the animals.

> It is a heart wrenching place to visit. The attendant
> told my friend and I that they put the kitties to sleep 3 days after they
> receive them. These are deserving kitties too!

So?  The number of outgoing animals HAS to equal the number of incoming;
they only have room for so many.  In the Seattle area, I am told that owner
turn-ins are usually taken into the back room and euthanized immediately
on arrival.  Strays must by law be held 72 hours; if the shelter staff
thinks they are adoptable, they may be held a few more days after that.  I
recently visited our county shelter about 1 PM and was surprised to see it
2/3 empty; a friend visited at 5 and it was full.  Among the cats that day
were 6 or 7 entire litters of young kittens.

In Washington state a dog that winds up in a shelter has about a 1/3 chance
of making out alive.  "Making it out alive" includes both strays that are
reclaimed by owners and those adopted by new owners.  The chances of a cat
coming out alive are about half that of a dog's--only 1 in 6.  

This is not the fault of the shelter workers nor is it any indication of a
lack of caring on their part.  It is the fault of irresponsible pet owners,
particularly those that allow their animals to breed indiscriminately.
Margaret, please turn your indignation to constructive action: volunteer
with a shelter or rescue group, get involved in public education, adopt an
animal from a shelter.  Every little bit helps.

P.S.  I talked someone out of breeding a litter yesterday!!!

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Dianne & her kids:                                 diannes@u.washington.edu
           K.C.: U-CD Nightwind's Elan, HC HCT CGC (Briard)
            Chloe: Found a Four-Leaf Clover, HT CGC (OES)
              Ms. Hilary Prickle (African Pygmy hedgehog)
                  Mr. Bun (English Angora rabbit)
 Jeremy (Briard)--foster dog from a shelter, looking for a permanent home
                  (sadly, catless at the moment)
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Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats