One of the numerous truth-challenged responses to my list of concerns about MAS says that they kill, even though they have empty cages, because the vet tells them to keep cages open to prevent the spread of disease. I have 12,000 problems with this but I will try to pare it down.
If MAS was truly concerned about preventing the spread of disease, they would follow standard shelter disease prevention protocols such as vaccination upon intake. They don’t.
I support disease prevention in shelters – absolutely, positively. But uh, hello MAS – you are putting 3 out of 4 of your pets in the dumpster. I’m pretty sure there is a reasonable middle ground here – about the size of Oklahoma – where you can minimize risk of disease by using the cage space wisely while allowing for some amount of risk of pets getting sick by keeping cages full. For starters, they might not get sick. And, since you are sending them to the landfill anyway, don’t you think the possible risk of a pet getting sick is reasonable? Can we get a show of paws on that question?
For the love of ponies, quit killing healthy/treatable pets while letting cages sit empty. With a little planning and coordination, you can use every cage in your facility while making efforts to minimize the risk of disease. And since the alternative for most of your pets is death, I say a little risk is warranted.
Further, if MAS would let adopters in to see all the pets they have, they might find that some people don’t particularly mind if a dog has a cough or a kitty has a cold. In fact, some people might be happy to save a pet from the MAS kill room and get him the veterinary care he needs.
Oh and before any killing apologists jump in to defend this particular webcam grab and tell some ridonkulous story about why these cages are “justifiably” empty (the pets were raptured 5 seconds before this cap?) – I have dozens more showing empty cages all over the shelter. I just used this one because it was sent to me today.
Cripes I wish my local AS had that many empty cages.
Sounds like this shelter needs a management change.
Hard to explain “killing for space” when you already have space…now it just looks like “killing because it’s convenient”…
i think its a disgrace that anyone would do this, the ones doing this needs a needle japped in them as well. i think ur a very inhumane decietful person!
Now if only the shitheads who run and work at the shelter (NOT the nice ones) would be raptured, we could save the animals. But oh, I forget, people like that only go to HELL.
Killing is convenient at MAS, because they get paid to kill its easy for them, they seem to love killing. It seems to be a training ground for killers, “keep the killers off the streets”. maybe thats the reason why the mayor does nothing about it. He is a man of NO compassion!!
We know there are a handful at MAS that are good people but its not enough to make change.
I have been following MAS all year and nothing seems to have improved and has Kapone ever been found?
Kapone has never been found ….. More could have been done to convince someone to speak……..MAS has no good answer except to promise they will stop the needless killing…..Use the empty cages and stop this barbaric act. Enough Said.
Empty cages in the cat area is nothing new for MAS. This does not prevent them from killing cats left and right and to tell overfilled rescues that if we “don’t come get that cat by the end of the day then….” A lady called me today, on the same day that this picture was taken. She had taken a cat to the shelter and was told the cat would be euthanized. The lady took the cat back home and Meows & BowWows (which is bursting at the seems with MAS cats) is trying to help her find a foster home. Still, I’m glad she did not leave the cat at MAS because empty cages or not, the killing continues!
Maybe MAS could let rescues use that empty room, including the empty cages, and give you a share of the taxpayers’ money to fund the care of pets in that room. Win-win!
Both my cats had really bad coughs when we adopted them. You never noticed at the shelter but once home it become noticeable (my guess the stress of moving). Flair’s nick-name for the first bit was piglet or snuffleufaguss. She got so bad we took her to the vet on a Sunday (gasp emergency call). Being in the Vancouver area said vet was a vissible minority and English wasn’t his best language. He told us Flair had herpies and if untreated it would turn to clamidia. She would also give it to Trouble. Dirty dirty kitten. Anyway after freaking out and buying her meds we googled herpies in cats and it’s the rhino virus. Common shelter sickness. It’s apart of getting a pet. I fully expected a vet visit when we decided to get another cat. Go to the vet after it’ll have an upper respitory infection. Day after meds and they are fine and chasing the older cat around. Only lasting problem is we have to keep them outta dust, Trouble gets almost asmatic now if she inhales dust. No biggie, they are both happy and healthy nothing worth killing over.
The 3 kittens I rescued from MAS (ended being bottle babies at 3 weeks due to the momma being so sick) had the same thing and all three of them are very sensitive to dust. Little eyes get red & watery & nose runs. One little guy lost most of his sight in one eye due to a lesion. They are the MOST loveable of my fosters !! They were on death row when I pulled them :o(
Goodness I don’t even want to think what they would of done to Trouble and her black eye!
Black eye? To the death chamber with you. You be medically hopeless.
I’ve told my story too many times…they killed Lil Bit while as was begging, pleading & crying for the privilege of taking her to the vet and have her treated for whatever. It appeared to be, if anything, a light case of kennel cough.They refused to let me try to help her, refused my offer of signing a realease to relieve MAS from any responsibility…Matt Pepper was out of town, Rebecca Coleman was the Nazi in charge that Sat. morning. No matter what I said, how hard I pleaded there was nothing I could do….They still like to kill and protect & defend the guilty….What will it take to create change at MAS?
Announcement about the Calgary funding model of animal care and control/animal services:
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The Calgary Model for Success
Bill Bruce, Director of Animal and Bylaw Services for the City of Calgary
The animal control bylaw in Calgary, Alberta, Canada has been hailed by many as a HUGE success. While other cities and provinces in Canada [and the U.S.] are banning breeds, Calgary is choosing education program and stronger enforcement. Pet owners in Calgary have a support system that addresses their needs before they become a problem. They have a mandatory licensing program for both cats and dogs which has provided the funds to help even more animals. The program has also lowered the number of impounded animals, increased owner return rates, lowered the euthanasia rates and lowered the number of fines for bylaw infractions! In this webinar, Bill Bruce of The City of Calgary Animal Services will share with you the steps he and his organization took to bring his community such a successful program, and the impact it had on animals’ lives in that community.”
{Note: Calgary has TNR through the MEOW Foundations).
Summary article about the Calgary model, http://redstarcafe.wordpress.com/2010/08/25/the-calgary-model/
I felt like this, killing out of convenience, was pretty much figured out a long time ago, no? Anyway, I also feel like they use this excuse too much, especially since all of their cages are not full pretty much all/most of the time and that they dont let you see the 100+ dogs in the back.
These cages were full on the morning of August 10 – this is actually where they keep the little dogs (not cats). They were all taken away one by one and killed. These cages were then cleaned, the door taken off and sat empty until today – when new paper was put in, the doors put on and yet, they are still empty.