# Very sad - on spaying/neutering, and pet overpopulation



## MadCatter (Aug 12, 2008)

I know this doesn't relate to rats specifically, but it is related to pet overpopulation, shelter overload, and responsible breeding.

Cross posting this from a Flickr group:



> I found this on a website called www.helpsaveone.org. It's a wonderful website and it helps animals about. Please read it you want to!
> 
> Yes, I Gas Dogs and Cats for a Living. I'm an Animal Control officer in a very small town in central North Carolina. I'm in my mid thirties, and have been working for the town in different positions since high school.
> 
> ...


----------



## 5ratboys (Aug 23, 2007)

Wow, just wow.


----------



## begoodtoanimals (Dec 6, 2007)

That's the reality unfortunately. But I am sure this officer will not go **** because he does the best he can for the animals and he cares, unlike the owners of the dogs and cats he has to gas.
Just wonder why they don't use a more humane way to euthanize the animals, maybe extra financial help for the shelter will help.
Also know that the no-kill shelters will leave the dirty work to these shelters who now are blamed for the killing.
This tragedy is not limited to cats and dogs but any animal that is considered a pet.


----------



## myboys2 (Jul 7, 2008)

First of all, I am sitting here in tears. It breaks my heart to even think of how hard that job must be.


Second of all, many small town AC shelters use gas because injection is very expensive in comparison. Most humane shelters (like the Humane Society) who can afford to use injection use a two-part series - first a sedative and then the Sodium Pentobarbitol. 

And lastly - begoodtoanimals - Please do not blame the no-kill shelters for the euth. of shelter animals! I volunteer for many non profit no kill groups and they PULL animals from these high kill shelters to save them! I've pulled dogs on the very day they were to die to put them into foster homes. ****, I've FOSTERED dogs thanks (to these no kill rescues pulling them in time) who were slated to die, and who now are living out the rest of their lives in happy loving homes. No, I do not blame the no kill shelters at all, they are the ones trying to do the right thing.

I know they can't all be saved. There aren't enough homes for all of the animals currently living on death row. But if I can be a part in saving even one animal's life, I know I can live with myself knowing I made a difference to that one animal. I feel better about what I do than those many people who give up their animals to be put to death.


----------



## begoodtoanimals (Dec 6, 2007)

I too worked in a no-kill shelter and fostered dogs who were going to be PTS at AC. I know that the no kill shelters keep the dogs with behavioral problems for an endless time , wasting their life away in a kennel for years because there are no funds for behavior modification, while sound tempered dogs are PTS in another shelter for population control. This particular "no kill shelter" also took dogs from AC but if they happened to be aggressive they were returned and we all know what happens then, only they didn't do the dirty job and kept up their good reputation in the community.
In this country you cannot afford no-kill shelters because there are way too many animals in the shelters nationwide. 
It is just the individual shelter's policy not to euthanize animals but it doesn't really save dogs because somewhere else another dog takes its place sadly enough.


----------



## myboys2 (Jul 7, 2008)

I imagine some no kill rescues do what you have described, but blame that shelter, not no kill recue as a whole. The groups I am involved in work with foster homes only, they never leave a jail cell just to be put back into one. I guess there probably are bad rescues out there too but thank God I don't have to deal with them! Sorry to hear that you did, but that doesn't mean all are the same.


----------

