My Turn: Spay/neutering would curtail animal cruelty, hoarding

Published: Friday, January 24, 2014 at 07:29 PM.

Last year, three hoarders had their dogs seized and this year another 11 dogs were rescued from starvation. These events raise the question, “What is the difference between saving animals and caring for a pet?”

Most hoarders have a form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. They start out trying to help animals, but due to their obsessive behavior, things quickly spiral out of control as they often take in more than they are able to physically, financially, and mentally handle. Once the situation has escalated to the point where authorities have been called, most of the animals will have to be humanely euthanized due to bad health and behavioral problems.

Since hoarders get their supply of animals from people that have abandoned them, it’s just one more reason why unwanted pets should never be dropped off anywhere. It would be easier to find a new home for an animal that’s up-to-date on vaccinations, spayed/neutered, heartworm negative, aids/leukemia negative and socialized. So if a stray shows up on your doorstep, you need to ask yourself whether or not you are willing to take on all the responsibilities that are required to be a conscientious owner before even feeding it. Here are 2 examples of people that knew they could not properly take care of the stray animals and made the best decisions they could:

My neighbor had to call animal control to trap 5 cats that another neighbor abandoned when they moved. At first she started feeding them, but soon realized that on a fixed income she was not financially able to continue to do so. It would be more humane to have them die at animal control than to die from the many variables that could cause extended pain and suffering. Unvaccinated cats are also a health risk to other neighbors as well as their cats. On a fixed income she could get free spay/neuter vouchers, but it would still be too much to pay for licenses for 5 cats along with vet care.

Almost 2 years ago, my dogs found a puppy in an abandoned house trapped in a chair. I had to put my reluctance to ask for help aside and seek guidance from friends in how to deal with a puppy. (Did you know that puppies need a time-out like toddlers do?) The puppy got her first round of shots and I started looking for a new home for her. I thought I would get help from one animal group, but found out I was wrong. I received an e-mail from a lady that had rescued 2 cats from animal control for them. The new cats’ owner already had 10 cats and they were not all spayed/neutered or up-to-date with their vaccinations. This information told me that they would not take the necessary steps to ensure that the puppy would go to a home capable of taking care of her. I made the hard decision to keep the puppy until she got spayed and took the time to crate-train, leash, teach her basic commands, and socialize her with other dogs. We spent close to $300. in vet care, hoping it would give her a better chance of finding a good home. We were able to find a foster mom for her who is a retired Mecklenburg County Animal Care and Control officer with over 20 years of fostering experience. It took the foster mom six months, but she found the perfect family for this puppy. The main reason she was chosen was because she had been in loving homes from a young age. With the support I received, we were able to give this puppy a real second chance at a new life.

Anybody can save, but it takes time, money, vet care, training, patience, and understanding to properly care for a pet. Anybody that uses pets to fill a void in their life cannot see the difference between a pet surviving and a pet living the life it was made for: human contact, love, a full stomach, praise and the ability to run for joy. For cats, being worshipped has to be a part of their life. Hoarding, euthanasia and animal cruelty would end if everyone would spay/neuter their pets and not take on the responsibility of owning a pet lightly.

If you need help to get a stray cat fixed and vaccinated please call Friends of Feral Felines at (704) 348-1578. If you find a lost pet please use the Gaston County Lost/Found pet website, Animal League of Gaston County website, the NC Lost/Found Pets facebook page and/or Poston Dog Park facebook page. You can also use the algc website to try to find a new home for your pet.

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