Mopping up the mess is no way to fix animal issues
It鈥檚 time to turn off the tap instead of mopping up the mess.
We read these wise words from Jean Atthowe of the Montana Spay-Neuter Task Force when we started Lakes Animal Friendship Society. It was indeed a mess 鈥� there were properties with dozens of community cats. The village pound was taking in close to 100 roaming, nuisance and dangerous dogs per year, and most of those dogs went unclaimed.
Luckily for the dogs, Dr. Lois Martin and the village had worked out a deal 鈥� the dogs were spayed/neutered by the 亚洲天堂 Lake Vet Clinic, and the village paid the amount a euthanasia would have cost. At the time, Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue was able to take in those dogs for rehoming. Hundreds of dogs found loving homes, instead of being killed.
And, the 亚洲天堂 Lake Vet Clinic, with the help of the community-supported Mother Millie Fund, has also helped hundreds of unwanted cats to be adopted. Some years they have helped over 130 cats.
None of this has been free. Even 10 years ago, the average cost of an animal in the shelter 鈥� transporting, spaying / neutering and other vet care, sheltering and feeding them, and getting them adopted was about $1000.
Today, the costs are much higher, closer to $1500. There is no Turtle Gardens. Animals must be transported long distances to shelters, if anyone will take them. Veterinary costs are higher. Food costs are higher. The cost of a trained dog catcher (bylaw enforcer) is way higher. Never mind building a new/better/larger pound facility.
In Canada, the average cost of an emergency room visit is about $6000. Before our programs started, there were an average of 37 dog bites per year reported at the ER. That is over $200,000 per year.
If you are keeping track, the annual costs in a crisis situation, like what we have now, are over $500,000 per year, and that doesn鈥檛 account for impacts to tourism, time for the village and schools to deal with ongoing nuisance and danger, and so on.
Mopping up the mess was never affordable.
The Village is seeking public input into animal control. Use your voice to seek proactive solutions like spaying / neutering programs and other supports to keep animals in good homes with loving families, which most are. Support dog bite safety, and care and compassion education in your schools. Let your community leaders, be they municipal or First Nations councils know that you want them to be part of the solution.
We have already proved what can be done if you take a small fraction of these costs and put them toward proactive solutions versus impoundment and sheltering.
Start with the helpful and positive, but also support the enforcement of bylaws to keep everyone happy, healthy and safe. We owe it to the animals and to each other to take steps when there is neglect and abuse. We can鈥檛 tolerate sliding back into the sort of situation we once again find ourselves in.
Let鈥檚 turn off the tap for good, and make the Lakes District a sustainable model of care for all.
Alistair Schroff,
Increased ACCESS, (formerly Lakes Animal Friendship Society)
