Walton County May Soon Have Animal Shelter

[Alicia Leonard]

WALTON COUNTY MAY SOON HAVE ANIMAL SHELTER

By DOTTY NIST
After at least a decade of efforts in the direction of a county-owned animal shelter, it now looks likely that Walton County will soon have such a facility.
The shelter is to be constructed on county-owned property on Triple G Road north of DeFuniak Springs, near the county landfill and new jail.
In February, in [?]

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[scooterbug44]

Walton County may soon have an animal shelter, but I find it hard to believe that the poor animals with $&#O#(@$)^*)%^#*_^(^*$s for owners or the gov't can do better than Laurie!

She has put some serious dollars and some serious effort into making sure that Walton County's animals have a home.

 

[NotDeadYet]

So will this new multi-million dollar facility be a kill shelter? I would assume it would have to be, since the county cannot take on the fiscal responsibility for all the animals that cannot be placed?
If this is the case, then Walton County will end up with a public kill shelter and a private no-kill shelter (Alaqua.) Is it just me, or does the expenditure seem backwards to anyone else? Too much money for a kill shelter and not enough financial support left over that could be available to a private no-kill shelter??
Is it merely that the political reality is that the taxpayers want their money used in the most efficient way, and killing animals is more efficient? Is that simplistic? Would some sort of public/private partnership that includes a spay/neuter program save more animals and make better use of tax dollars? Or am I, once again, hopelessly idealistic??

 

[Evangeline]

Until animals are spayed and neutered, any shelter is a flimsy band-aid for the huge problem of pet over-population. Cats are exponential breeders.

There's also a need for education. I can't believe how many people still think a dog "needs" to have a litter. Or that neutering a male is some kind of cruel reduction of his manly spirit.

The county has done a shameful job of even attempting to build a "shelter" for our animals and now they're spending an exorbitant amount to build a killing place in a most undesirable and remote area. And while there are always going to be dogs and cats that can't be placed in homes for one reason or another, a portion of that money could be so much better spent on creating some sort of affordable spay/neuter program. And to support the private no-kill shelters that are providing a humane approach.

Also, who wants to go to a sad place to pick out their dog or cat? As much as I support getting pets from shelters, I don't think I could go pick one out and know I'm leaving the other hopeful little faces behind to die in 7 days. At Alaqua Animal Rescue, not only is is a beautiful place to visit, but it's such a happy place that you can go pick an animal out and know that the others you leave behind will be happily placed too.