| are more victims in the recent economic and | | | | comprehensive foster care program, that's not |
| housing downturn and they're buddies of mine: the | | | | pet overpopulation. That's the lack of a foster |
| family dog. You see, as houses are foreclosed, | | | | care program. If adoptions are low because |
| people are being forced to either move in with | | | | people are getting those pets from other places |
| other family members who cannot accommodate | | | | and the shelter isn't doing off-the-premise |
| dogs or relocate to apartments who don't allow | | | | adoptions, that's a failure to do outside adoptions, |
| pets. Some of these folks are under so much | | | | not pet overpopulation. |
| stress that they wait until the last minute when | | | | If animals are killed because working with rescue |
| they do not have time to think about what to do | | | | groups is discouraged, that's not pet |
| with their pets. In many of these cases, these | | | | overpopulation. If dogs are euthanized because |
| pets are simply left in the abandoned homes | | | | volunteers and staff aren't allowed to socialize |
| where they will starve to death if not discovered. | | | | them and they went "cage-crazy," that's a failure |
| At this time of crisis, my mom and I have seen | | | | to have behavior rehabilitation program in place, |
| many animal shelter groups on TV, encouraging | | | | not pet overpopulation. |
| people to turn their pets in to them. But my mom | | | | Of course, I am not advocating for people to |
| has been reading Nathan Winograd's book, | | | | abandon their dogs in empty homes. Good grief! |
| "Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation and | | | | Dying of starvation is a very cruel and painful |
| the No Kill Revolution in America" to me and I | | | | death. However, if you or someone you know is |
| say, "Not so fast!" | | | | facing foreclosure and needs to relocate a dog, |
| I was shocked to hear that many shelters have | | | | maybe you should consider contacting a rescue or |
| routinely euthanized healthy adoptable pets in | | | | a no-kill shelter. Rescue groups already have |
| staggering numbers. Shelters will tell you that their | | | | foster care systems in place and work very hard |
| cages are crowded, their intake is greater than | | | | to match the right animal with the right home. |
| demand and they lack the money to care for | | | | When our family adopted Krissy, our most recent |
| these animals long-term. If you ask me, many | | | | addition from Southwest Airedale Rescue, my |
| animal lovers have blindly drunk the "pet | | | | mom and dad had to fill out a comprehensive |
| overpopulation" Kool-Aid that many animal | | | | questionnaire, undergo a home visit so that the |
| organizations have been peddling for years. | | | | rescue coordinator could make sure the home |
| But in interviews, Winograd points out that if pets | | | | was safe and after a meet-and-greet with Krissy, |
| are killed because a shelter doesn't have a | | | | we were finally approved for adoption. |