Today's column is something I have wanted to write for a while and have put off. I have put it off because I wanted to do a little more research and try to come together with the entities involved to come up with a plan to improve the situation. I hate to bring up problems without solutions.
Even stronger than my heart for people and my strong desire to help them, listen and understand is my heart for animals. As a child I wanted to be the director of the San Diego Zoo or a veterinarian. I ended up not doing those things because I knew my heart would break each time I could not save an animal or had to deal with a loss.
The issues of animal welfare in Columbia and Marion County have gotten out of hand much like the issues of child welfare here. While the two are not equal in the eyes of many people, it is the same systems and values of the community that have led to both being a huge problem. I did end up working with children and parents during my career, and both can lead to the similar heartache.
The Columbia Animal Shelter has tried to be a no-kill shelter. Most rescues and shelters long to be no-kill, but this is almost impossible with the current state of things in the southeast. Being a no-kill shelter does not mean that all lives are saved. No-kill facilities simply cannot take all of the animals that are dumped, surrendered and unwanted. There simply is not room, staff or money to take in every unwanted animal. Most of those animals that they cannot take end up dying from disease, abuse and injury.
People get angry when they want to "surrender" an animal, and there is no room or there is a fee. They expect rescuers to be miracle workers. It does not work that way. Even when a shelter or rescue is no-kill, animals die. They die because there is no place for them, no room for them, no money for them.
People may also get angry because the Columbia Animal Shelter is about to euthanize animals because they just cannot take in anymore. There is no room and people prefer to complain than to take action. They have sick animals that come in and infect the others.
There are ways to help the situation, but people do not want to admit there is a problem, that they are part of the problem or that there are actions they do or do not need to take to help solve the problem.
There are simply too many dogs and cats in this area. People breed them for money not thinking of where they will end up, what kind of home they will have or why people want them. Or they breed them and then cannot sell them and have to "dispose of them" at a shelter or on the side of the road.
Spay and neuter must become the norm rather than the exception. There is no need for a female dog or cat to repeatedly have babies when there is no place for them, and the owners cannot care for them. Spay and neuter can be expensive, but there are plenty of groups that can provide vouchers for low cost surgeries. I, myself, have even offered to transport for anyone who wants to do this but cannot get their pet to the doctor. I believe that most of the people involved in rescue would gladly do what they can for someone who wants to do the right thing for their pets and just needs a little help.
Pets need to be treated for heartworm and other diseases. The death from heartworms is a horrible thing. Parvo is even more horrible. I have watched a litter of puppies die from that, and it was heart wrenching. Both of these are preventable, as are most other illnesses that take the lives of animals unnecessarily.
People also call and text me constantly wanting help rehoming their dogs because they know I care and I have contacts. They don't have time or they feel the dog is left alone too long. What time that pet gets with you and is safe in a home is better than sitting in a concrete cell the rest of its life, which is what usually happens at shelters. They also may not be able to deal with the animal's behavior. Dogs must be trained. They have to be taught. Most people can take the time to teach them or to break bad habits, but, it does take effort. If the behavior is a dangerous one, then behavioral euthanasia is an option that nobody wants to resort to, but a dangerous animal does not need to be placed with another family where it can cause harm nor does it need to live its life in terrible conditions somewhere else.
Before you get a pet, think about the long-term situation and whether you are willing to make a commitment to that pet. Then get that pet spayed or neutered, vaccinated and given preventatives. Help be part of the solution and not part of the problem. Stop letting them have babies because they are cute or to sell. Yes, they are cute. There are not many things cuter than a puppy. But that puppy grows up and becomes a dog.
Statistics show that most dogs in Mississippi are mistreated, abused and unwanted. They live in horrible conditions.
According to research by pet welfare organization Best Friends Animal Society, nearly 18,000 cats and dogs died in shelters in 2021 in Mississippi. That's in shelters. It does not count the ones that died on the streets or by the hands of cruel and uncaring people, of starvation and disease.
"The responsibility of saving pets' lives should not rest solely on shelters and those in animal welfare," Best Friends CEO Julie Castle said, "but on entire communities, including community members, government leaders, shelters and other animal welfare groups. Through collaboration and community involvement, there are models that provide better support for pet owners, efficiency in shelters and more lifesaving outcomes for pets. When a community supports its shelter's critical needs, we see dramatic results."
There has become no way to prevent euthanasia at the shelter here. Residents must take ownership of the problem and do their part. The governmental entities must also play a part, not just by throwing money at the problem but by creating and enforcing regulations in the city and county. Money is needed in the short term to get the ball rolling, but with a well thought out plan, we can all make a difference in the years to come.
I challenge those involved in the above groups to come together and work out a plan that can cause lasting change. And, as I challenged the clients I worked with, ask for help. There are people who will help but don't expect them to do it all. We all play a part.
Beth Riles is a staff writer for The Columbian-Progress. She may be reached at (601) 736-2611 or eriles@columbianprogress.com.
