Bay County No Kill Shelter

[Jdarg]

Thanks for your input Djarg. I do agree that not all pets are adoptable. We had a couple pits in NOLA that we had to sedate to walk or feed them. Clearly they had to be put down (thanks to some a$$holes who made them that way). When they picked up Sunshine from the shelter, her papers said she was vicious. Anyone who knows her know this was not the case. She has 5 teeth and was scared to death so I think a lot of responsibility falls on the people at the shelter and each one is different!

Shallows, are you sure about this rifle thing. How can I confirm? I will definitely get the word out and try to get some attention so it's stopped. My god, the animal could be in agony until it expires. The thought makes me cringe and I just want to cry.

A few years ago, someone notified the TV stations, and they went to the counties' animal shelters with hidden cameras and made some pretty damning films. It prompted the county governments to allocate some money to the shelters for euthansia supplies. Unfortunately, someone has to be qualified to give the shot. I'm going to ask my boss what the law are, but the euthansia solution that we use is a controlled substance and only the vets are allowed to use it, so I'm guessing that a vet would need to provide euthanasia services to shelters.

It IS horrible what people do to animals- and most animals that are not adoptable got that way because of their former owners. So it is really not the shelters that are killing these animals- it is the people that had them before they got there. ALL the blame can be put there, I think. You will get the occasional dog that is just nuts, or feral cats (which are impossible), but most problems can be blamed on humans.

Here is a little tidbit some of you may already know- the songbird poplulation in the U.S. is declining, and part of the problem is...cats. Feral and domestic- they are killing too many song birds. The trickle down effect, huh?

 

[Cork On the Ocean]

A few years ago, someone notified the TV stations, and they went to the counties' animal shelters with hidden cameras and made some pretty damning films. It prompted the county governments to allocate some money to the shelters for euthansia supplies. Unfortunately, someone has to be qualified to give the shot. I'm going to ask my boss what the law are, but the euthansia solution that we use is a controlled substance and only the vets are allowed to use it, so I'm guessing that a vet would need to provide euthanasia services to shelters.

It IS horrible what people do to animals- and most animals that are not adoptable got that way because of their former owners. So it is really not the shelters that are killing these animals- it is the people that had them before they got there. ALL the blame can be put there, I think. You will get the occasional dog that is just nuts, or feral cats (which are impossible), but most problems can be blamed on humans.

Here is a little tidbit some of you may already know- the songbird poplulation in the U.S. is declining, and part of the problem is...cats. Feral and domestic- they are killing too many song birds. The trickle down effect, huh?

Any help would be great. I used to work with the dept that regulated prescription drugs in Florida and there needs to be a vet in charge of the drugs to euthanize but he doesn't need to be on the premises for the injection so that shouldn't be an issue as they should have a vet available and if they don't, they shouldn't be licensed as a shelter.

We have a decreasing beach mouse population here from the cats but I do agree with the trap and release problem. Mother nature is one thing, irresponsible owners is another. Funny at a Board of Directors meeting there was discussion about giving $500 to our trap and release problem and the BOD decided that they do contribute to keeping down rodents and snakes which they found desirable.

 

[ShallowsNole]

Shallows, are you sure about this rifle thing. How can I confirm? I will definitely get the word out and try to get some attention so it's stopped. My god, the animal could be in agony until it expires. The thought makes me cringe and I just want to cry.

Didn't mean to upset you sweetie...after as much as you have been through with Sunshine (hugs). But please understand that I didn't mean a veterinarian or a shelter uses a gun...and I probably shouldn't have mentioned it in the same post. The people I speak of are farmers, they grew up in a different time and world than the one we are in now, and certainly they are not contained to northern Walton County. They are accustomed to raising poultry and livestock to later slaughter and sell, or to have food for their own table, so the thought of using a gun to kill an animal - especially one that has broken bones, or rabies - is not foreign. Sometimes difficult if it is a pet, but not foreign. Rest assured that they do make sure it is quick. It's not like the Larry the Cable Guy joke about shooting his horse that broke his leg, and if it doesn't get well by Saturday, he will need to shoot it again.

My husband's 87-year-old grandmother loves me very much, but she lovingly advises me that I would never make it on a farm. She is correct. If we are visiting and it's time to kill a pig, it is also time for me and my son to go home.

 

[InletBchDweller]

Cork,

Yes I would love to help do something....I just know that at one time I had 16 cats and if I did that again Mr. Ibd would surely divorce me...

 

[Jdarg]

For those of you involved in feral cat issues, I think this is a good article. It discusses the problem of feral cats, mentions some successful management programs, and has some good general info.


http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/sep02/020915j.asp

 

[beachmouse]

Is there a Petsmart in Panama City yet? Or maybe the Walton Co. one could head westward. The Petsamrt in Destin provides space for local rescue groups to showcase animals they're trying to get adopted out. Feline Friends of Destin has a regular presence there, and Pet Welfare (no-kill shelter on Eglin AFB) seems to have an adoption event there every month.

 

[InletBchDweller]

Yes there is a petsmart in PC..it is across from the mall....They do have adoptions there....t

Is there a Petsmart in Panama City yet? Or maybe the Walton Co. one could head westward. The Petsamrt in Destin provides space for local rescue groups to showcase animals they're trying to get adopted out. Feline Friends of Destin has a regular presence there, and Pet Welfare (no-kill shelter on Eglin AFB) seems to have an adoption event there every month.

 

[Smiling JOe]

If Walton County will stop putting off building our own shelter instead of contracting out to the one in Chipley, FL, we may be able to have a no-kill shelter.

Spaying and neutering also helps keep the numbers down. Both of my muts were neutered at the pounds before we got them.

 

[Cork On the Ocean]

Shallows, thanks for clarifying that. I'm well aware of people that hunt and take care of their animals in ways that I might not and I don't make any judgements of them at all. I don't judge kill shelters either but pray that somehow education can stop the overpopulation. I'm not a zealot but I have been exposed to some things that make me want to do my part for animals.

There are so many cruel things that people do for money. My daughter trains Tennessee Walkers and people don't realize that those horses are being tortured when they pick their front feet up so high. And the people clap. And the horses bleed. And they've been hit in the head with boards to desensitize them to the pain. And then golf balls are shoved up their noses to collect insurance money when they don't win. I just hate it. Let me clarify that my daughter trains naturally and humanely and while her horses don't do heavy shod (high leg lifting), she has trained several world champions naturally.

With so many homeless animals from Katrina right now, I wish I could give every one a home but like IBD, I know that's not possible so I try to do some small thing whenever I can. I would never be a hoarder or encourage it with anyone.

Again I'm happy to transport if anyone needs transport to the new No Kill shelter in PC.

 

[chiodos]

I don't necessarily have experience writing grants, but I am a technical writer/Analyst, and have worked Government contracts for 5 years, so I can probably get you something going on that if you can't find anyone else to volunteer...
Stephanie Chiodo
chiodos@tecsysint.com