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Euthanasia - The ultimate dilemma
The subject of euthanasia when discussed within animal welfare circles always results in heated debate. It is a topic that raises moral and ethical questions, but it is also one that is underpinned with deep emotions. After all, people work with animals because they care for them and want to improve their lives. In most countries however, animal welfare organizations that open their doors to the public are inundated with large numbers of unwanted animals. Some of these are injured, ill or old, others may have behavioural problems that make them poor candidates for adoption. Most are probably healthy animals that are no longer wanted because they aren’t as cute as when they were puppies, they dig up the lawn, chew on the car, the owner is going away or moving to a flat, they have a new dog, or the owner is too busy etc.
In Trinidad and Tobago, we are faced with a huge stray dog/cat problem, and a population that is not properly educated on pet care and responsible practices such as spaying and neutering. In some cases the cost of care at private clinics is too much for owners or they have other priorities for their finances. Many people think nothing of allowing their dog or cat to breed twice a year and then handing out the puppies or kittens to anyone who will take them or just putting them in a box and dropping them ‘somewhere where they will get food’. Some owners will however give up unwanted animals to either the TTSPCA or the AWN.
TTSPCA data shows an increase in the number of unwanted animals relinquished to the northern branch over the last 4 years. In 2008 almost 8000 unwanted animals entered the shelter. They were either brought in by owners, or rescued from the streets, or removed from situations of neglect or cruelty. This is about 150 dogs and cats each week. In addition, four corporations brought in over 1700 dogs to the shelter. The AWN has no shelter facility and takes in a much lower number averaging about 800 - 1000 animals per year. We can then roughly estimate that in 2008 almost 11,000 unwanted dogs and cats were given in to the animal welfare organizations.
The TTSPCA shelter has kennels for about 100 dogs. Some of the kennels are assigned to boarding dogs, some to dogs from the regional corporations, some for recovering veterinary patients, and the rest, the majority, are for dogs for adoption. The shelter also has 16 kennels for cats. The kennel space available to AWN animals at veterinary clinics fluctuates seasonally with less space in the holidays when many of the kennels are occupied by boarders.
The average adoption rate for animals at the TTSPCA shelter is 35 per month or about 9 dogs/ cats per week. The AWN rehomes on average about 5 or 6 animals a month.
The question then is ‘what do we do with all of these dogs and cats? There are really only two options available. One option is for organizations to choose to go ‘no kill’ and to close their doors when the kennels are full and turn away all additional animals, leaving them to a fate that could include abandonment on the side of a highway. The other option is to take in all unwanted animals and to make life and death decisions depending on their suitability for rehoming and the space available. Overcrowding is not the answer, a properly run shelter should not subject animals to further cruelty. A minimum amount of space, and food must be provided, and dogs should have access to regular exercise. In addition, where are we to find good homes for these animals? You cannot take a dog out of a situation of neglect and poor treatment only to hand it on to a similar situation – potential owners and homes must be vetted to at least give the animal a fighting chance.
Organisations have to make these decisions. If the alleviation of suffering is our goal then euthanasia is often the only choice available. This is widely recognized, and in other countries where the resources are much greater it is still the common practice. In the United States 9.6 million animals are euthanized annually, 65% of all animals brought into shelters. An excerpt of the Humane Societies statement on euthanasia states that “The practice is still conducted for dogs and cats because open-admission shelters and animal control agencies do not turn away animals and do not have sufficient space to house all of the animals who need shelter ”.
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Sara Maynard posted on March 23, 2010 12:25
The subject of euthanasia when discussed within animal welfare circles always results in heated debate. It is a topic that raises moral and ethical questions, but it is also one that is underpinned with deep emotions. After all, people work with animals because they care for them and want to improve their lives. In most countries however, animal welfare organizations that open their doors to the public are inundated with large numbers of unwanted animals. Some of these are injured, ill or old, others may have behavioural problems that make them poor candidates for adoption. Most are probably healthy animals that are no longer wanted because they aren’t as cute as when they were puppies, they dig up the lawn, chew on the car, the owner is going away or moving to a flat, they have a new dog, or the owner is too busy etc.
In Trinidad and Tobago, we are faced with a huge stray dog/cat problem, and a population that is not properly educated on pet care and responsible practices such as spaying and neutering. In some cases the cost of care at private clinics is too much for owners or they have other priorities for their finances. Many people think nothing of allowing their dog or cat to breed twice a year and then handing out the puppies or kittens to anyone who will take them or just putting them in a box and dropping them ‘somewhere where they will get food’. Some owners will however give up unwanted animals to either the TTSPCA or the AWN.
TTSPCA data shows an increase in the number of unwanted animals relinquished to the northern branch over the last 4 years. In 2008 almost 8000 unwanted animals entered the shelter. They were either brought in by owners, or rescued from the streets, or removed from situations of neglect or cruelty. This is about 150 dogs and cats each week. In addition, four corporations brought in over 1700 dogs to the shelter. The AWN has no shelter facility and takes in a much lower number averaging about 800 - 1000 animals per year. We can then roughly estimate that in 2008 almost 11,000 unwanted dogs and cats were given in to the animal welfare organizations.
The TTSPCA shelter has kennels for about 100 dogs. Some of the kennels are assigned to boarding dogs, some to dogs from the regional corporations, some for recovering veterinary patients, and the rest, the majority, are for dogs for adoption. The shelter also has 16 kennels for cats. The kennel space available to AWN animals at veterinary clinics fluctuates seasonally with less space in the holidays when many of the kennels are occupied by boarders.
The average adoption rate for animals at the TTSPCA shelter is 35 per month or about 9 dogs/ cats per week. The AWN rehomes on average about 5 or 6 animals a month.
The question then is ‘what do we do with all of these dogs and cats? There are really only two options available. One option is for organizations to choose to go ‘no kill’ and to close their doors when the kennels are full and turn away all additional animals, leaving them to a fate that could include abandonment on the side of a highway. The other option is to take in all unwanted animals and to make life and death decisions depending on their suitability for rehoming and the space available. Overcrowding is not the answer, a properly run shelter should not subject animals to further cruelty. A minimum amount of space, and food must be provided, and dogs should have access to regular exercise. In addition, where are we to find good homes for these animals? You cannot take a dog out of a situation of neglect and poor treatment only to hand it on to a similar situation – potential owners and homes must be vetted to at least give the animal a fighting chance.
Organisations have to make these decisions. If the alleviation of suffering is our goal then euthanasia is often the only choice available. This is widely recognized, and in other countries where the resources are much greater it is still the common practice. In the United States 9.6 million animals are euthanized annually, 65% of all animals brought into shelters. An excerpt of the Humane Societies statement on euthanasia states that “The practice is still conducted for dogs and cats because open-admission shelters and animal control agencies do not turn away animals and do not have sufficient space to house all of the animals who need shelter ”.
Thursday, January 19, 2012 11:10 AM
_.I am so happy to read this. This is the kind of stuff that needs to be given and not the random misinformation that is at the other blogs. Looking through this astonishing doc.
Monday, January 23, 2012 9:14 AM
Die Studentenvereinigung im \'Alter von enlightenment\'When Rousseau bat erwachsene Männer, sich von der Anklage ihrer Ketten freizumachen, sich die Notlage dieser einsamen Fremden vorzustellen, wer innerhalb der Ketten der erektilen Funktionsstörung geschlagen wurde. Die Revolution war am Ende einer Hand voll broadways, Leben war wahrscheinlich höher innerhalb des \'Alters der Erläuterung\' und Freiheit, Freiheit und Studentenvereinigung endeten das Bedürfnis nach jenen Stunden. Leider, aber schrien die einsamen Fremden schwierig, selbstständig frei von Machtlosigkeit zu brechen, die einsamen Fremden wetteten für den Kampf der Geschlechter, um auf ihren Aspekt und dann mitten unter Schreien einer gewinnbringenden Revolution reinzufallen, die Bieter warteten für die Freiheit ab, die Rousseau in ihren Herzen entzündet hatte. Die Studentenvereinigung sollte die Rasse vom Degenerieren sexuelle Güte erhalten die Freiheit war, ein Rauschgift zu erfinden. Dann Meilen einzeln in der Raum-Zeit, das Relativitätskonzept liefert Ihnen, um vorbei an den wunderbaren Erfindungen des Mannes zu schlendern. Welche Schläge weil ein Juwel in Person-Kronen das Wunder von Viagra ist. Geboren kostenlos noch gespannt mit chainsWhen Rousseau bat für Männer flehentlich, die kostenlos noch gespannt mit Ketten, Männern mit negativ sexuell geboren gewesen sind vergessen mit dem Finale ihrer Rasse gut geendet zu werden, die auseinander fällt. Das Erwerben Führt Kann Mehr Schmerz Tun Als Ausgezeichnet am Rand der Klippe, wenn der einsame Fremde schwierig schreit, von der Brise genommen zu werden, haben wir einen größeren Block als die \'Eingeständnisse\', wir haben Viagra, um die Katastrophe abzuwenden. Die Katastrophe ist ebenso klar wie das reine Sonnenlicht, als fließend als der Strom unten Hügel und als verzehrend als das stärkste Getränk, und wenn es schlägt, dass niemand verlassen wird, groß auf der Impotenz zu sprechen. Rousseau RedefinedFor Personen so \'geboren frei\', um völlig freie Existenz zu wohnen, die Krise abzuwenden, bittet die Studentenvereinigung dringend, Viagra zu bekommen. Für diejenigen, die getragen sind, völlig frei, um Leben kostenlos zu wohnen, befiehlt die Studentenvereinigung, um die Verschiedenheit herauszufordern. Sexuell gut zu sein, lassen Sie es nicht vergessen werden ist ebenso wichtig wie die Existenz Sie haben Zeugung ist ebenso entscheidend, um Ihr Vermächtnis aufrechtzuerhalten, und wenn es nicht für viagra bestellen diese bloße Tatsache gewesen ist, hätte es nicht eine Person gegeben, um Sie mit der Essenz dessen zu leiten, was Rousseau aufrichtig meinte, als er Kerle wünschte, ihre Ketten zu verwerfen. Erlauben Sie, dass Ketten die Brechung eines Kults, ein Kult symbolisieren, der als Hedonismus betrachtete, um eine Sünde zu sein. Viagra ist für das leidenschaftliche für das leidenschaftliche, wer nachhängt und allmählich wie der wildeste creepers rundum die weichen Berührungen kriecht, die Viagra für das Rendezvous unter dem kühnen und dem Betäuben ist.
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