Friday, September 26, 2008  Vicious circles and Virtuous ones
One reason why some people take on more than they can cope with
is fear that the animals may be put down if they are handed over
to an animal welfare organisation. Conversely, some welfare
organisations argue that "limited access" animal shelters, where
animals are never put down to make space for more admissions,
may mean more euthanasia in the long run if owners decide to
have their animals put down rather than wait until space is
available. By US standards the RSPCA would be entitled to call
itself a "no-kill" organisation — one which does not put down
animals capable of rehabilitation.  Once things have got out of
control, owners may be deterred from seeking veterinary help by
lack of money and fear that approaching the RSPCA or PDSA might
lead to prosecution instead. This is actually most unlikely — in
about 20 years I can only think of two cases where our clinic
reported an owner to the Inspectorate as a result of them
bringing an animal for