another forward I think goes along with what we've been discussing.....

Fri, 10 Jun 2005 22:29:44 -0700

I must say I was quick to stereotype the pet detective as a 'male' when actually the detective is a female named Kat.  :)  (only defense is that there are still over 600 emails still in the box!)
tonya

NMHPForum <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
From: "NMHPForum" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2005 19:06:09 -0700
Subject: [NMHP] Member Comments on 'Unfit Owners'


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Comment from Barb:
This has been an extremely valuable week of information!  Kat is to be commended for all the work she has done in this area.  We get so many calls for lost animals and it is heartbreaking to not be able to provide much help for these people.  This information is a gold mine and it should be a great help to people searching for their animals. 
 
I also greatly appreciated her comments on whether or not shelters should give an animal back to a family who had lost them and not found them during the holding period.  This was a real paradigm shift for me!  And I have to say, this way of looking at the situation makes TONS of sense.  We in the animal welfare field tend to be so judgmental about how others take care of their animals, and maybe we need to take a hard look at this.  And I really appreciate the comments about what shape the animal might be in when he is rescued, and how we need to take a careful look at this before we decide the animal has been neglected/abused.  I mean, think about it, if a child was lost in the woods and found days later, it would never occur to us that the shape the child was in at the time he/she was found was caused by the PARENTS of that child.  And we would never say "If those parents could not keep better track of their child, they don't deserve him back, so we will give him a different home".  So this is lots of food for thought!  Thanks Kat!
 
Comment from Mary:
I appreciated this answer.  As a worker in a traditional municipal shelter, a reasonable voice in the storm is treasured.  Too often I see time and energy spent on one dog that could be used to save several.  I also like the fact that Kat points out that, �if they had not pampered the dog like you or I would have� does not necessarily make them reprehensible owners!
Comment from Brenda:
That is a GREAT answer!  I never thought to take those factors into consideration.  OF COURSE the animal would be in bad shape ... he's been LOST!!  Thanks a lot.  I think from now on I won't be so quick to judge.  Sometimes in our efforts to help the animals, we do just the opposite!
 
Comment from Lisa:
In response to the issue of finding lost dogs -- I'd like to add that some breeds, such as pit bulls, can be automatically put down if found
and taken by the finder to the pound. I was told that there isn't even necessarily a waiting period at our shelter when it comes to pit bulls,
nor is there a guarantee of effort to locate the owner -- at least, this is reputed to be true in North Carolina, where there aren't any pit bull rescues.

I'm very disheartened by the lack of good press surrounding such gentle, loyal and loving dogs. Many pit bulls do run away, and often, for good reason. And it's just too sad to imagine that they might be put to sleep just because they've tried to escape a bad situation to begin with.
 

Comment from a member: 

I would like to add that sometimes returning an animal to a borderline home can be an education opportunity.  What better time to explain why you're giving the animal back microchipped, with proper collar and ID, spayed/neutered when applicable, treated for any pressing medical concerns, taught a new trick or two, groomed and having been fed a quality diet during their stay outside of their 'usual' home? 

What better moment to offer free or low cost behavior/training classes, shuttle services to a low cost clinic for regular vet care, amnesty on pet licensing fees--or for that matter, literature on steps to take if their pet is ever again lost?  Doing all of that, plus continuing to follow up to make sure at least the major points of our advice is taken, can still be a better solution than leaving a gap in that family's life--which will be replaced by another 'free' puppy or kitten before too long.  That only perpetuates the cycle of a poor quality of care.

I grew up un-pet-ducated and before I became involved in rescue many years ago, the 'pound' was a place of enforcement, fines no one in our neighborhood could afford, and generally negative associations.  It would have never occurred to any of us to actually ask an animal shelter for help with a (yes, unidentified and unaltered) lost animal.  Did we love our pets?  Of course!  Did we learn and comply soon enough with what were considered the 'new norms' for pet care, which include proper confinement, ID, sterilization--and suggested lost and found procedures?  Why, yes!  Are there still people out there who haven't 'heard the news' and are still caught in a time warp when it comes to pet care?  You bet!  But it's often not too late to turn things around.

Of course there will be situations where the former home is truly unfit, such as where physical abuse or dog fighting occur.  Barring that, maybe all they need is the helping hand we need only have the graciousness to extend.

Response from Kat: 

Well said!  On a final note, there is a fascinating book that I would like to recommend for those who are readers on this list (besides MY book, of course!).  It is called BLINK by Malcolm Gladwell.  It is about how we process information and how people make instinctive responses and split second decisions.  It has nothing to do with animal welfare yet EVERYTHING to do with animal welfare!  For several years, many people have been hearing the message that stray dogs are �ABUSED� �ABANDONED� and �HOMELESS.�  This information is projected every day on Animal Planet programs like ANIMAL PRECINCT and ANIMAL COPS.  Because of this, what we believe and how we think will influence how we act when we find a loose dog.  I encourage you to learn all that you can about human behavior in order to better serve the animals that you help to protect.  Keep up the great work everyone!



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