What infuriates me about this whole issue is that these so-called animal lovers aren't as angry about all these animals being killed as they are about how they are killed. There are about 15 million unwanted pets killed in animal shelters in the US each year, and about 250,000 in NC. About 60 percent of US households own a dog or cat, and a minority of those are the ones causing all these unwanted animals. They are breeding them faster than we can lethally inject them, unless the rest of us (responsible pet owners & non pet owners) are taxed inordinately. Fix the problem of overpopulation and then ...and only then ...will I listen to your concerns about gassing.
We actually are but the good ole boys in charge wouldn't want their hunting dogs affected. Also dogs and cats are viewed as an extension of agriculture so while we are also pushing for spay/neuter laws and regulating breeders nobody really cares. I guess these groups are showing horrible, graphic things to jolt people into seeing what really happens. I try to support everything that would make things even slightly better for shelter animals. My dogs came from a gassing shelter that was horrible and filthy even without the fact that at any given time there might be a pile of gassed animals back there and it makes me ill to think that that would have likely happened to them.
The problem is a majority of pet owners combined with the pet industry. Whenever anyone tries to make pet owners more responsible through licensing, strict regulations, quotas, or increased taxes and fees ...they cry foul. How easy is it to go buy a puppy for Christmas, then decide a few months later you don't want him? Who tracks these things? ...Nobody. The thinking goes that "its a free country and if I want a dog, by god I'll have one." Never mind that they can barely feed and clothe their 5 snotty nosed kids, or never mind that the whole suburban middle-class family is too busy and never at home ...anyone who wants a dog can have one. When it comes to imposed regulations, a living animal is no different than a stuffed one. And the multi-Billion dollar pet industry wouldn't have it any other way. Making it harder to own a pet cuts into their business. Until this attitude changes, the 15 million animals killed each year in the US will continue to rise. What I would propose is not allowing anyone to legally own a non-neutered pet without a breeder's license. The penalty would be extremely high - 30 days in jail and/or a $5,000 fine. A breeder's license would be very hard to obtain. They would be required to have adequate and professional facilities and regular checks by health inspectors and vets. Buying a pet would require a detailed application process similar to applying for a loan, and breeders would be legally responsible for the application records. Dog owners within city limits would be required to obtain a certificate from a certified behavior training school. To be exempt from this certificate, a dog would have to live outside city limits and a minimum number of acres would be required. Since I am a Libertarian at heart and hate government regulations, I'll offer that solution as well: Any pet on your property that you didn't invite there, you can kill ...no questions asked. There would be no public funded shelters, so you would be responsible for killing your own unwanted pet, or taking them to a private shelter who would require a fee since they would not be subsidized with public funds.
:iagree: I have worked in shelters and hate to see the dogs that are killed because people are too stupid and selfish to not have them neutered. And the folks that just get a dog on a whim and then when the puppy chews something up (like a puppy does) they bring it to the kill shelter. Until people realize that owner responsibility is the problem we are going to have animals that are killed.
