Shelter Accountability

 

I've been thinking about the information on my Pet Law digests. Most state "shelters, rescues, and veterinarians are exempted from..." but we all know they use inflated euthanasia numbers by lumping everything together regardless of why it was euthanized. There is no accountability.

 

Nancy Glick © TheDogPlace.org  02/2010 - I believe it's time to ask our legislators to require shelters that derive any local, state, or federal funding to report to the taxpayers who support them. Accounting information as follows:

1. Number of feral cats or stray dogs euthanized and why
2. Number of adoptable cats or dogs euthanized and why
3. Number of pets euthanized due to illness/old age
4. Number of cats and dogs turned in by owners specifically to be euthanized
5. Number of dogs and cats adopted out
6. Number of dogs and cats returned and the reason
7. Number of pets seized from owners and detail the charges filed
8. If no charges were filed, why were the animals seized?
 

Everyone who breeds or shows purebred dogs or cats must account for ownership, breeder records, health and sales records, plus we keep track of show records, etc. Breeders have to account for animals that died or were euthanized. Shelters and rescues must do no less.

WE have to account for everything and many of us do it using software made specifically for that purpose. We have to make everything available for AKC, inspectors, IRS and other government entities, so why on earth should shelters, rescues, and vets not be held accountable and required to do the same regardless of tax status?

To hold these "exempt" entities accountable for accurate numbers to the taxpaying public would go a long way in showing that breeders are NOT responsible for filling shelters or for the number of animals euthanized every year.

It would only take a simple software program to account for each animal adopted out, returned, seized, or euthanized. Since most shelters give each dog or cat a number, it should retain the same number if returned or if it is transferred from one shelter to another. Since they are so big on micro chipping, the numbers should be their micro chip number since none are identical. THAT would end skewing numbers as a means to push laws that are intended to end breeding. Because it would be public information, it would be easy to refer to factual accounting rather than the numbers made up by HSUS.

Why not ask that when SPCA or HSUS comes into any state to "help" with raids, they are REQUIRED to turn over all donations made on behalf of the seized animals to the local shelter, minus only the actual cost of assisting in the raid? That way the money collected for care of those cats and dogs goes to its intended purpose instead of being used to fill HSUS coffers. When HSUS gets free TV publicity, the donations go to HSUS and the shelter or rescue group is left to foot the bills. How wrong is that!

Another accountable change. Before a raid can be done, authorities must allow kennels or catteries adequate time to comply with infractions such as repairs that require funds and decent weather as long as the dogs or cats are being properly cared for. Only when animal cruelty can be charged should a raid be allowed. Shelters, SPCA, HSUS, or any other group should only be allowed to seize animals in immediate danger and should be required to provide follow-up proof that animals received veterinary care. If the dog or cat is under good vet care provided by the breeder or owner, no authority has a right to seize it.

Fines should only be levied if the above requirements are not met in the time frame allowed. If a third offense occurs, the kennel or cattery owner should have their license pulled permanently.

If animals can only be removed as stated above, shelter costs would go down. Donations, taxes, fines, and license fees can go to fund low cost or free spay and neuter of pets for lower income people. The number of publicity raids would drop dramatically (saving the state thousands of dollars in cost of care) and it would put a hell of a dent in the HSUS coffers.

States, counties or cities should not be allowed to charge intact dog fees on top of other license fees. The annual license fee should have a reasonable cap and be in line with the state's average income levels. Those fees should be enough to pay for annual inspections on small kennels and bi-annual on larger ones.

Owners and breeders should be able to go to animal control for help in placing animals if they become overwhelmed or in emergency situations. We should not have to live in fear that AC is going to come and take all our dogs or cats because we asked them for help.

If Animal Control or any other entity accuses people of animal cruelty, they must account for the charge with photographic evidence of conditions and provide a veterinary statement by a local vet who is not connected to the owner, Animal Control, SPCA or HSUS. Animals should be identifiable by pictures and surroundings, with the owner in every photo, with such photos provided to the judge as evidence. That would put a big cog in the wheel of animal rights groups using pictures from old raids to try to close down a kennel.

If lawmakers are going to make us fight against coercive legislation, it's time we put them in a position of accountability. Honesty and evidence could put the bad guys out of business and honest accounting could make shelter operators, well… accountable!

 

http://www.thedogplace.org/PROJECTS/Shelter-Accountability_Glick.asp

 

Copyright © NetPlaces, Inc. / TheDogPlace - All Rights Reserved, Under penalty of law, no portions thereof may reproduced or reprinted without obtaining Reprint Permission from the publisher -  Privacy Policy - Disclaimer