Animal Precinct

snickersmom

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Do any of y'all watch those "Animal Precinct" and "Animal Cops" rescue shows on Animal Planet? It seems like whenever they have to rescue a large number of cats (from, for example, a house where there are so many cats that not all of them get human contact) or a large number of pit bulls (from, for example, a dog fighting operation), they just euthanize pretty much all of them because they supposedly wouldn't be adoptable.
But after watching shows like "The Dog Whisperor," I question whether feral cats and pit bulls are really not able to be rehabilitated. If they had skilled enough trainers and enough resources, could these poor little things eventualy be adoptable? It's just so sad when like 30 kitties are all euthanized in one fell swoop after they have been "rescued". Thoughts?
 

weldrwomn

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I do watch occasionally. It is sad that they put down some of the animals that they rescue. Sometimes the animals are put down because of advanced medical problems. I think that when the animals are put down because of behavioral problems that there can be several reasons. In the case of agressive dogs, they are very hard to adopt. An agressive dog is very difficult to change. When the dog is adopted by new people, it's agression might come out worse and also it would be a liability for the humane society to release such an animal. When the dog whisperer works with dogs, they are usually in a familiar environment with people that they are used to and able to trust. Also I believe that most of the episodes take place in Los Angeles, where he lives. Cats and Dogs that are put down because of emotional problems are probably not going to be happy or trustworthy again for a very long time and not without a lot of love and attention. It just is not realistic to try to adopt these animals out. I think that it is very sad to put any animal down, but sometimes it just makes sense. Just my $.02
 

kittenkiya

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I watched about 15 minutes of the very first show, and I couldn't watch anymore, I was crying too hard.

I can't deal with animals in that situation it makes me want to go and get them.
 

mcmaggie

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I have tried, Emergency Vets too, and just can't. It seems that every show has to have an animal, usually a cat, euthenized. So I take a pass on those shows now days.
 

katiemae1277

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I think the problem is just what you said, there isn't enough time and resources, most rescues can barely keep up with the perfectly healthy, socialized animals. I don't like it any more than anyone else, but in those situations, I think euthanasia really is the most humane option. I watched a show on HBO once about no-kill versus kill shelters and when an animal is kept in a cage or kennel for so long they start to develop behavioral problems which makes them even more unadoptable, and as much I think every animal deserves a chance at a home, what is more fair to the animal? driving it slowly crazy by keeping it locked up for the rest of its life or giving it the ultimate freedom? its a very fine line to walk but that show really gave me a new perspective on the issue. if everyone would just spay and neuter, we wouldn't have the problems with unwanted and abandoned pets that we do
just adding MY 2 cents to WELDRWOMAN's
 

epona

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Unfortunately we live in a world where people allow their pets to breed indiscriminately, animals are badly mistreated, and neglected. The people who rescue them are largely volunteers with little funding outside of donations from concerned individuals, and there is only so much they can do.

While I applaud the approach of not euthanising any creature, the finances and time resources have to be provided somewhere, and too often that falls on too few individuals.

We cannot expect people who want to rescue animals from awful situations to bear all the cost and effort of keeping those animals for the rest of their natural lives, it's a huge burden, and it's easy to criticise people for making tough decisions when you're not bearing the cost and responsibility yourself. Sad though that is. If I were a millionaire I would even then not be able to pay for care for every abandoned or mistreated animal in the world.

We all have our part to play, whether it is volunteering our time, donating food and blankets to a shelter, or even simply being responsible custodians of our animals in getting them fixed so that they don't add to the problems that already exist. If every person made a small effort, it would go a little way. Unfortunately while people are ill-educated about their responsibilities in taking on and caring for a pet, these problems will continue.
 

breal76

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I used to watch this show but I do not anymore. I find this show to be very annoying to say the least. Everyone assumes that every single shelter/rescue out there is just like the ones they see on TV. They are not. I am not sure if they are just misleading people, or that people are just that stupid into thinking that. However, I believe it's a little of both.

I don't know how many times I have to tell people when they call our shelter "We are not like the ones you see on TV."
 

denice

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I watched one episode where they took well over 200 cats out of one house, it took them two days and then they set out live traps to catch the last few. They were all feral and many of them had obvious really bad upper respiratory infections. It would take a very long time and a lot of people to try to socialize that many ferals and it is a job that many people who foster cats would not want to take on. It would even take a while to put them into a foster situation because of all the illness. They were able to put a few of the kittens up for adoption.
 

jen

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I watched that show all the time when I had cable. I miss it, I loved watching them rescue all those poor animals. And busting the stupid owners.

Anyways, I really feel horrible for the poor dogs that were rescued from awful conditions and rehabilitated and it put on weight and is happy and friendly and loves the new attention it gets, and then they do the food agression test and the dogs rips the plastic hand to shreads. It's such a sad thing, the poor dog is all better and happy but it has food agression so they euthanize it almost right away. I mean, isn't there someone out there with only one dog or who would work with the poor thing? I cry when things like this happen.
 

crittermom

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Yes, I watch it. I sit and cry for all the babies that they have to help.And then, I look at mine and think how lucky Mia,Sapphire and Lilly (who I adopted from a shelter) are to have a home with us.
 

yayi

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Originally Posted by Epona

Unfortunately we live in a world where people allow their pets to breed indiscriminately, animals are badly mistreated, and neglected. The people who rescue them are largely volunteers with little funding outside of donations from concerned individuals, and there is only so much they can do.

While I applaud the approach of not euthanising any creature, the finances and time resources have to be provided somewhere, and too often that falls on too few individuals.

We cannot expect people who want to rescue animals from awful situations to bear all the cost and effort of keeping those animals for the rest of their natural lives, it's a huge burden, and it's easy to criticise people for making tough decisions when you're not bearing the cost and responsibility yourself. Sad though that is. If I were a millionaire I would even then not be able to pay for care for every abandoned or mistreated animal in the world.

We all have our part to play, whether it is volunteering our time, donating food and blankets to a shelter, or even simply being responsible custodians of our animals in getting them fixed so that they don't add to the problems that already exist. If every person made a small effort, it would go a little way. Unfortunately while people are ill-educated about their responsibilities in taking on and caring for a pet, these problems will continue.
I agree 100%!
 
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snickersmom

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Yeah, definitely the saddest is when the doggies seem fine and playful and then they fail the food agression test. That's when I think the Dog Whisperor guy would come in handy. Instead of being the pet trainer to the stars, he should go work at shelters.
 

naturestee

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I miss those shows. I don't get that channel anymore. Yes, it makes me sad. But it also makes me happy to see the animals get saved, even if they do have to get euthanized they're in a better place.

My sister used to love those shows, but she's a public defender in New York. She had to stop watching when she saw her client get busted on Animal Cops, and what he did to his animals. She doesn't get to choose who she represents, and she was very upset that she had to defend him in court (I think it was on different charges, though). It's best for her not to know the graphic details.
 

juliekit

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I watch it sometimes. Now I dont watch it so much as they changed it to 11pm though. But it does make me sad in some cases.

I do understand that when someone rescues over 200 cats from a home that most will be feral, extremely sick etc. Most opf the cats have lived their entire lives in that situation and are unlikely to change. It would take an impossible amount of time and effort to socialize 200 feral cats, and it may do them no good.

Sometimes I get very angry when the pit bulls are immediatly euthanized. Most of the fighting dogs that go in there are very terrified, and not at all human agressive. But in the back of my mind I do understand that they most likely are dog agressive and can be a liability if they get away. But what truly angers me is when they take in a bait dog, or a dog that they dont have clear evidence if it was fought or not. They also immediatly euthanize despite these dogs not showing any agressive tendencies.
 

denice

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I think Detroit is the one that does that. They euthanize all pit bulls to try to cut off the supply of dogs to people engaged in dog fighting. I guess they have a particularly bad problem with it and people who do it will come to the shelters and adopt the dogs.
 
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