Dear editor,
This is the reality we are facing today. Everyone loves the thought of a no-kill animal shelter. The Allen County Animal Rescue employees work endless hours shuffling dogs and cats into other no-kill shelters and reputable rescues in search of homes for all the unwanted pets.
The only problem is all the shelters and rescues are full. Everyone is at their breaking point, ACARF included.
We can’t find places for these dogs and cats to go. We are housing animals two and three to a pen. We are quickly reaching a point where we will have to become a kill shelter or shut down. We are over peak capacity and financially we are bleeding money to take care of all these animals.
Let’s get real here. We are a small shelter. We can realistically take care of about 25 dogs and 12 cats. Right now, we have 44 dogs and 38 cats, and the count is rising every day. We have 54 dogs and 36 cats on our waiting list. Every month we go $6,000 in the red. We can’t keep this up. And we are not alone. Other no-kill shelters across the country are facing the same dilemma. There are too many unwanted animals and too many irresponsible pet owners. They are allowing pets to reproduce in record numbers. Then they leave entire litters in our drop-off pen or bring animals in and threaten to kill or dump them if we don’t take them. Some have gone as far as walking out the door with the animal and then leaving it in the parking lot and driving off.
What people don’t understand is that we can’t magically make pens appear. We put a lock on the drop-off pen and people throw them over the perimeter fence. They just assume that the exhausted staff will fix it, and they are wrong. We can’t fix this problem. You can. If the public would start taking responsibility for their own pets, and get them spayed and neutered, it would be a huge help. If you need help getting your dog or cat spayed or neutered, and you live in Allen County, call ACARF. We can help you.
The public needs to be educated on the humane treatment of animals. ACARF has the horrible decision of losing our no-kill status. If we do, you will be the ones euthanizing innocent and unwanted pets. The employees will carry the burden and the heartache. If you can’t take responsibility for a pet, don’t get on. If you can’t spay or neuter it, don’t get one. If you can’t feed it, don’t get one. If you can’t make a 10-15 year commitment for the life of the pet, don’t get one. And if you are going to get a pet, please adopt, don’t shop.
Sincerely,
Julie Payne and
Brittni Dilley,
ACARF administrators,
LaHarpe, Kan.
