It is safe to say that many animal lovers, rescue groups and advocates of a no-kill policy had hoped for more at a facility that has drawn a lot of controversy in recent years though probably doing the best job it can with the slim sums allocated. Given that the economic downturn is known to have added greatly to the pet abandonment problem 13 new cages, all sure to be overcrowded, seem mere tokenism. Three years ago the same County Commission was discussing spending $150,000 to double the 75-kennel capacity of the facility in order to, in the local Humane Society’s words, “stop 100 dogs a week from being killed.”
How’s about getting serious about creating a far more humane operation, not just avoiding costs? Being humane toward taxpayers regarding this burden/service wouldn’t be an issue if alternative means of funding were considered. People who want to kill deer, fish and so forth have to buy a license, why not those who want to keep dogs, cats, etc. alive in their homes?
Frankly, if pet lovers feel they can’t afford some basic annual licensing fees — perhaps including an ID chip as well as a collar tag as part of the price — then the only alternative left is indeed filling up the landfill with unwanted pet bodies.
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