Regarding the doomed-to-fail MSN law in Memphis, Matthew Pepper is apparently privvy to some secret information none of us knows:
“Just like all the problems in Memphis there is no magic wand that will act as a cure, but this is one step to create a better environment for animals and citizens,” said Memphis Animal Shelter Director, Matthew Pepper.
Every year the shelter euthanizes 16,000 animals. Pepper hopes the new law will reduce the number of pets put to sleep. He added, “I think over time, spay and neutering is the long term solution to the problems we face in this community.”
Mr. Pepper doesn’t cite any references for his belief that Memphis is going to blaze the trail for successful MSN laws. (Maybe it’s classified information – like China’s plan to take over the U.S.) It’s my opinion that Memphis will head down the exact same paths as all the other failed MSN cities. And I have references!
He demonstrates the definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over in spite of the failure of s/n every place it has been tried.
Maybe I just expect too much from municipal officials since I deal with them every day. Or in spite of the fact that I deal with them every day. I’d love to know the research done by Mr. Pepper or the city attorney which led them to believe that a mandatory law would accomplish anything productive. I know there are two sides to this fence as there are with many issues we discuss. Since city governments place such a high priority on funding, has no one crunched the numbers? Has no one stepped up to show how a program to subsidize SN would work better? Has no one thought to work on educating the folks who live in Memphis on the health benefits of spay and neuter? I guess the answers are no. No. And no. One would think that Memphis is an island but I’m pretty sure it’s landlocked.
While I agree with most of your points on the issues at hand regarding the pet overpopulation & animal control issues, I know first hand that no one is going to take people serious who are always snide. It is easy for the public and the “powers that be” to blow off someone who is always snide and making blanket, generalized, wise assed statements by dismissing them as an extremist. To make change, we need to sound professional and well informed, not like a smart ass. While I feel the same way (meaning I often think “how stupid can these people be”) I know that to help make change, I need to be more professional in my outward approach.