Staying on the Up & Up with Animal Control

And now for something completely the same!

Another thread has given me much to think about so here is a new one. One of the largest problems that animal control has with rescues is lack of accountability. While some are good at keeping accurate records and notifying local agencies when they take animals into their care, some do not. In most states, cats are considered personal property and the original owner, regardless of the opinion of the rescuer, may indeed be a decent, caring person who will forever wonder what happened to their pet. Not knowing is sometimes worse for the person. In some cities, trapping and failing to notify animal control is ILLEGAL!

Second, (and I know this one will not be well received), who made rescue "X" the arbitor of who is a good owner and who is not? Simply finding an animal outdoors and deciding that the original owner doesn't care enough to keep it is the pot calling the kettle black. From posts on this board, many rescuers feed cats outdoors so what makes them better than other people?

Dialog generates answers. Answers lead to solutions. Solutions solve problems.

So how do you stay on the up and up with animal control? Get a copy of your state and local animal control laws and then do something really interesting.... FOLLOW THEM TO THE LETTER! This is hands down the best way to keep us from frolicking in your demenses. Nothing slows animal control down faster than a person NOT VIOLATING THE LAW. Makes us have to put away our storm trooper outfits (Fester's original take on my demeanor )and relegates us to chasing the occassional stray chihuahua...

I didn't post this in the animal control forum since this is not really, ask the animal control officer, more like me on a soapbox after enjoying a couple of cool adult beverages and deciding to stir the pot! I want to hear from the "other side" so lets discuss!

Hi Mark-

Nice to see you still around.

For me the cats I feed, are either dumped on me pregnant, or I get a litter of orphaned kittens in a box over my back fence, or the cats that appear are straggly, ill-kempt, have no socialization, are angry and clearly not anyone's "pets". For me, there is a sad story, a farmer who owns over 125 acres in the back road behind us. He has hundreds of ferals that he feeds and does little else. His colony is perhaps the biggest inbred colony I have ever seen, and many of his cats arrive here, sometimes just to die- they are that ill. He runs AC off his property with shotguns, and refuses to trap his cats because he "feels sorry" for them when they get trapped.

I have been known to get a neighbor's cat neutered, but the guy was such a deadbeat, and didn't care for Tux at all. Tux was coming by to eat and fight, and I got tired of the high vet bills, so I took him in and got him chopped. About a year later, the neighbor shot him with an arrow, and Tux dragged himself over to our home to die in our arms.

The first thing I do when a new cat shows up, is I take a picture of it, and I go from farm to farm knocking on doors and asking people if this is their cat- my neighbors get mighty tired of me doing this.
I no longer put food out past 5:00 p.m. and I learned early on that saying No to people who call me and ask me to take their cats for them, saves me a lot of grief. I know how many cats I am zoned for, I am well within my limits, and if I get over (which does happen) I have a wonderful lady who lives out in the boondocks and raises goats and she takes a lot of my cats in to live on her place.

I don't think the arguement is that rescuers know who is a good owner. I think the arguement is that rescuers (MOST of them) know how to make the cats more comfortable in the environment they are in. At least having them outside and being maintained, IMO is so much better than cramming them into cages and stressing them out enough they can become sickly and even die.

That information about your neighbor is absolutely infuriating!
Can't someone like that be charged with cruelty to animals?

Originally posted by Mark Kumpf
And now for something completely the same!



Second, (and I know this one will not be well received), who made rescue "X" the arbitor of who is a good owner and who is not? Simply finding an animal outdoors and deciding that the original owner doesn't care enough to keep it is the pot calling the kettle black. From posts on this board, many rescuers feed cats outdoors so what makes them better than other people?

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Often mused about this one myself. Okay I may not LIKE it that little kitty up the road is out at midnight mewing at my back door but that doesnt mean to say their owner is mistreating little kitty.
I read often on these boards about cats 'found' and sometimes wonder if they were really 'lost'. I know in a lot of cases it is genuine and many do like hissy, ask around, post pictures etc etc. but i wonder if there is someone out there looking for a kitty who has been rescued by some kind soul.
Alexis

Sometimes it isn't always easy to tell if a cat has an owner or not. Obviously, an outdoor cat doesn't equate an abandoned cat....but also...where does owner responsibility come into play. Say I have Buffy...he's my cat and because I decided that neutering him was a waste of money....but he sprays inside...I have let him live outdoors. Now...let's say Buffy decides to visit my neighbor's yard and not only cause damage to their flower garden...but inpregnates their female unspayed cat?? Don't I as the owner of an unfixed male bear some responsibility for the kittens?? What if my male inpreganates an unowned female cat...let's say she's a stray....aren't I still responsible in some degree for letting my cat cause this to occur?? That is what happens EVERY DAY and yes...it would be nice if we could take the time to go from door to door and say...are any of these cats yours and could you get it fixed. But more often then not...the greater need is to get the cat fixed. It isn't that we don't want to work with the ACO...however, we also want to stem this tide....over 61,000 cats were euthanized in Virginia in 2002...to me that is a tragedy...and what are we doing to ensure that it doesn't go up?

Katie

I would also make this argument to you Mark (respectfully) Most of the caretakers of large colonies leave the cat out in the wild (or the outdoors) after they are neutered or spayed. The cat can choose to go back home to the owner if they wish. They are not caged in any fashion, except 24 hours after neutering or spaying. I know from my experience with doing this as long as I have. Most of the cats who end up here were tossed out of their homes for "misbehaving." A few years ago I had a beautiful persian mix show up here. I did the routine thing, took a photo, trapped her and put her in my cat room (she was pregnant) I took her photo around and we had a new neighbor a ways up the road that year. On a hunch I went farther than normal and knocked on the door. A lady answered, I showed her the photograph and asked if it was her cat? She kind of shrugged her shoulders, looked at me suspiciously (maybe she thought I was Animal Control!) and then said it was her cat, but she "didn't want her anymore!" When I asked her why, she had the audacity to tell me......"Because she keeps having kittens!"

I left, took Jewel (her name) to the vet, had her spayed, and yes, her kittens aborted. I found her a good home with a lovely lady who was confined to a wheelchair, and she is happy and healthy last time I looked in on her.

The key is education to the public. Spay and neutering would solve so many problems. It boggles my mind when I go to the grocery store and there are kids outside with parents waiting with boxes of kittens and puppies (labs are the rage here) When I approach and they get the spay and neuter lecture and my literature, they shrug it off and say they "can't afford to spay the mom!" But when I look over at their shopping carts, I literally almost 99% of the time see cases of beer and bottles of alcohol- tally up that grocery tab for a month and you would have the money needed to spay or neuter. It is that type of apathy I combat all the time, and that type of apathy I simply can not tolerate.

I've heard it happen too many times - Rescuers VS. Animal Control. It shouldn't be that way! With few exeptions, the goals are the same - find good and loving homes for as many animals as possible, and end the pet overpopulation problem.

How do we accomplish working together for the common good? Well, dialogues like the ones we have had and are having here with an ACO and rescuers is the place to start. These discussions *should* be happening in person all over the country. In order to do that, the personal egos on both sides need to be put aside. Rescues and No-Kill Private Shelters must realize that until we get the overpopulation problem under control, euthanasia is a reality. There are not enough homes for all of the animals currently out there, let alone the ones being born every day. I'm sure most every ACO would celebrate the day when they no longer have to carry out euthanasias on healthy animals. ACOs have to realize that there is a place for private rescues, that they aren't trying to undermine the publicly funded system but to assist by taking a load off of their already understaffed and underfunded efforts.

There is also a huge need for education - of the public, of AC, and of private rescues. We already know about the need for educating the public. AC needs education as to what the private rescues are trying to accomplish and how they go about doing it. Rescues need to be educated on following the letter of the law, and how AC works to accomplish the same goals albeit by different methods. Both need to be educated on each other's and their own strengths and weaknesses in order to compliment each other.

The final step is to improve the laws to better enable the cooperation between the two sides, so everyone can follow the letter of the law for the benefit of the animals. Put in provisions to release healthy animals that may not have a good chance at adoption in the AC facility to an established private rescue group, or release relinquished purebreeds to purebreed rescue groups who have a stronger network to adopt out those animals. Use both groups to lobby for stronger low-cost spay/neuter programs to help with the overall problem of overpopulations. Get provisions that allow for TNR of true feral colonies. And of course, stronger laws for dealing with animal cruelty and neglect and hoarding to keep everyone in check and truly protect the animals.

Am I idealistic? Probably. But if no one tries, the situation won't change, and the ones who truly suffer are the animals.

Hissy...I sooo agree and appreciate all you and the countless of other caretakers do.

Katie

Bravo Heidi!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think that because you do not rescue, but since you help those who do with both of your websites, you have that unique opportunity to sit on this panel (for lack of a better word) impartially and without the personal emotions most of us have regarding this situation. It should be that AC and rescues both private and non-profit work together. It is clear that with more dialogue and answers coming from all sides, this might be possible in the very near future.

Again I applaud your post- very well done!

Today's top ten ways to make the ACO your friend
1. Don't violate the law. This keeps him from having to be the "bad guy" and makes you more credible in his eyes.

2. Say good things. Many acos only hear negative comments. Saying nice things to their bosses helps as well. If they screw up, call them and discuss it with them FIRST. Don't copy the entire city government and the mayor's third cousin because the officer that answered the call upset you. Do that AFTER you try and talk to him and he sticks his foot in his mouth and wiggles his toes!

3. Ask for more money. If you are not getting the service that you want from animal control, become and advocate for increased funding and staffing. Political types will listen to citizens much faster than us.

4. Help change the laws. If you don't like the code or the ACO can't help you because it's not on the books, get it added!

5. Realize that the ACO has a job to do and be able to agree to disagree. Some of the things we do, we don't personally agree with either but its the job.

6. Educate your neighbors. Help cut down on the problems by making sure your neighborhood is not the problem child of the jurisdiction. Invite the ACO to the civic meetings to help with this task.

7. Volunteer. Whether its at the local animal control shelter or some other function, by volunteering even a few hours a month, you can free up time for the ACO to work on other tasks like cruelty investigations or rabies clinics.

8. Start a local forum for discussion. Invite local animal control, animal shelter, rescue members, and veterinarians to meet and talk about how to combat the animal related problems. Offer donuts!

9. Be willing to listen. There are other opinions and viewpoints. From within and without - people will say things that can light your last nerve on fire with a passion to inflict a plague of locusts upon them. Make sure your skin is as thick as possible.

10. Watch David Letterman. This subject can be very depressing. Add a little levity and better Top Ten lists to your life. Or email me and I'll tell you another "Truth is stranger than any #$@%$@ we can make up about animal control" tale.

Mark..it's funny you should mention volunteering....I do volunteer with the Westmoreland animal shelter...I have a webpage dedicated to helping them and their dogs. I don't see this as an US vs. THEM situation...but I agree that more dialogue needs to occur.

Katie

Originally posted by TNR1
Mark..it's funny you should mention volunteering....I do volunteer with the Westmoreland animal shelter...I have a webpage dedicated to helping them and their dogs. I don't see this as an US vs. THEM situation...but I agree that more dialogue needs to occur.

Katie

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How untrue! It is US vs. THEM... The only thing is that the "US" is Animal Control, Humane Societies, and rescue groups vs "THEM" the irresponsible animal owners who continue to contribute to pet overpopulation by their lack of caring and concern for their pets and the pets of others.

At least that is how it is supposed to be. Sometimes the lines grey and blur when we disagree over what approach to take or how to talk to someone. We are working towards a common goal, the paths may be a little different. Some walk, some run, others drive their HUMMER! The object is not to run OVER someone else on the path.

Agreed..that is the way it should be...and not so much versus the irresponsible pet owners...we are the ones that need to educate them and make them better pet owners. Perhaps that is an idealistic viewpoint...but I honestly think that education and assistance will make a world of difference.

And if all else fails...fines and jailtime do speak volumes.

Katie

Unless I have completely missed the point, my babies that I feed outside don't belong to anyone. They arrived starving at my door and until I spayed and neutered them, they had families. No one called to see if their "missing" cat was among the pack. I am not going to stand by and watch an animal starve. I just can't do it. If that puts me at odds with Animal Control, so be it.

Originally posted by KittenKiya
Unless I have completely missed the point, my babies that I feed outside don't belong to anyone. They arrived starving at my door and until I spayed and neutered them, they had families. No one called to see if their "missing" cat was among the pack. I am not going to stand by and watch an animal starve. I just can't do it. If that puts me at odds with Animal Control, so be it.

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Definitions.

Pima County animal code definitions do include you as an owner under the law. Keeping, harboring, feeding all qualify. As best I can see, Pima's control ordinance only applies to dogs, not cats so you may be off the hook unless they fall into the category of being destructive animals. Knowing where you stand is way different than being at odds. S/N and identified is the way to go.

This is a very interesting thread. I live in a semi-rural county in southwestern Germany, and we don't have any "animal cops". There is an "official veterinarian's office", understaffed and overwhelmed, responsible for any reported cases of animal cruelty, issuing health certificates for pets taken abroad, and overseeing BSE testing in slaughterhouses. The people there have my sympathy, because they are facing overwhelming odds. Animal shelters in the county are strictly run by volunteers, and totally dependent on donations. All are "no kill shelters". I live in a small town (population 9,500), and our mayor is sympathetic towards animals. Our town hall issues guidelines: if you find a "stray animal", you should report it to the police, town hall (lost and found office), area vets, and local volunteer rescue organizations. It is also suggested that you ask around the neighborhood, put ads in the local newspaper, and post pictures with info in local businesses. It is legally not up to the rescuer to decide whether the dog/cat was properly cared for. Several years ago, a kitten showed up in our yard, and I did all of the above. I soon determined that she had a home, but that her owners had gone on a six-week vacation to Russia, and had left her to fend for herself. We adopted her, and when her owners returned and wanted to reclaim her, we refused, because she had legally been abandoned, and didn't seem too keen on going "home". As she required medical attention, which we saw to, her "owners" backed downed. However, I'd be horrified if anyone claimed ownership of JC if he became lost and was fed and cared for by anyone else. One thing I've never been able to clarify is: Generally speaking, is anybody who takes in a stray animal obligated to turn the animal over to the SPCA/local rescue group? I sponser animals at our local animal shelter, and very few are ever adopted. As a junior college/university teacher, I've had much better luck taking in animals and finding colleagues/students willing to give them permanent homes. JC's mother was taken in by a student's mother, and after she bore 5 kittens, he ended up with us. The family who took his mother in didn't follow the regulations: no cats were to be adopted out as "indoor cats" unless the adopter agreed to take two or three kittens, outdoor excursions for other kittens were not allowed, and no kittens could be adopted out without having all their shots and being neutered. All that sounds good - but how many can afford it?

Hi Mark,

Excellent list! Not an easy challenge, even one or two of those are hard ones to achieve. But it's a great and well-rounded list of points, I think.

Can I crow just a teensy bit? I saw a press release for my local county government, wherein an official said in opening a shelter for domestic violence victims that we have more places for homeless animals here than we do for human violence victims. Well, I thought that was not the greatest comparison to use. We DO need shelters for victims of abuse AND we need more space for dogs and cats, not either-or. I phoned the official's press officer and spoke with him about the concern I had. I haven't yet had a chance to call the local animal control folks to let them know I'd gone to bat in a small way for our common interests.

I've posted elsewhere about the big lack of trust here (and probably in most other places) between animal control and private rescues and such. It is also difficult because both animal control and rescue can have a whole range of individual types -- there are cooperative individuals or individual groups, there are prickly ones, there are all sorts in between.

Originally posted by Mark Kumpf


3. Ask for more money. If you are not getting the service that you want from animal control, become and advocate for increased funding and staffing. Political types will listen to citizens much faster than us.

4. Help change the laws. If you don't like the code or the ACO can't help you because it's not on the books, get it added!

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Hi Mark, and company,

I think these two deserve even more highlighting. Everyone has made great points throughout this thread (IMHO), but I am seeing more and more how unsophisticated many animal-lovers are, and how huge the opportunities are for working in these two areas (funding and legislation) to change how animals are cared for.

We often run into people who rant (to us rescuers too, Mark!! ;-)) about how the laws are awful and we gotta change them. Sadly, few of those people who rant, are able to sustain their passion to change the laws through the lengthy and sometimes frustrating PROCESS of changing 'em! And, some people have problems being team players -- granted it's not ever easy to coordinate viewpoints, schedules, testimony, and best guesses at what will work here, and now.

Political action even seems to be something that drives people TOWARD rescuing animals; I think that people sometimes think that they can not have to deal with other people, by rescuing animals, they can spend ALL their time with those dogs and cats. I don't think we can expect much change, if everyone works that way, though -- so far, dogs and cats don't vote, and it's *people* who set budgets and make and interpret the law. Soooo, I believe in getting politically savvy and in developing people skills, too. And each time I learn something, I'm trying to pass it on.

Originally posted by tulip2454
Often mused about this one myself. Okay I may not LIKE it that little kitty up the road is out at midnight mewing at my back door but that doesnt mean to say their owner is mistreating little kitty.
I read often on these boards about cats 'found' and sometimes wonder if they were really 'lost'. I know in a lot of cases it is genuine and many do like hissy, ask around, post pictures etc etc. but i wonder if there is someone out there looking for a kitty who has been rescued by some kind soul.
Alexis

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Hi Alexis, Mark, and All,

I completely agree that rescues should not be arbiters of whether an owner of record is "deserving" or not. I take heat on this a lot because I believe our obligation is to EDUCATE a not-so-hot owner into an acceptable (or even GREAT!) owner, and that's not what everyone wants to hear.

But there is a Catch-22 to consider, also. In some areas, it is sufficient to register a "found animal" with local agencies, and the finder can choose to house the animal himself once that's done. In other areas, a finder is obliged to take the animal to the shelter. If that shelter is at or near capacity, and, depending on the hold times for the shelter, many a cat or dog could be long dead before the owner has quite realized it is "missing." A rescue in this kind of area is faced with a no-win situation: house an animal and break the law (Mark's top-of-the-list No-No); or turn the animal over and know with near certainty that the animal will die in the shelter.

Yes, one answer to this is to agree to disagree, in the terms used earlier. But you see, all of the power in that situation is with the shelter. The rescue, which before this may have been highly accountable, and highly legal, now finds itself in unknown territory. At any time, animal control can *choose* to no longer 'agree to disagree.'

Will toeing the line, legally, really provide the impetus for any change in the law? I'm not convinced, yet.

Mark This is some of what they do here to handle the problem of legal ownership.

The City I live input this in place about four years ago.
They have an agreement between the 501C3 non profit Rescue, the City (responsible for AC yet they contract with County) and the County. Basically, each has decided that they are partners in solving the pet overpopulation and pet retention problems and must work together.

Hopefully this will give others on handling the sticky situation of "legal ownership".

First the easy scenario: The non profit rescue can take owner relinquishment of owned pets. The owner signs a release saying it is their pet, provides vet records and pays a fee. If health not current, they pay the vet to get pet current. The Rescue is not required to take owner relinquished pets.

Now with the partnership (written between all three entities) AC is also easy: All cats picked up in the City (or turned into the Rescue other than owner relinquish) go to the County AC. A first hold on all cats is immediately placed providing the Rescue as the recipient. The cat or dog may be reclaimed by the owner during the 7 day State mandated holding time. All entities hope they are reclaimed by their owners.

Due to limited resources of the Rescue (foster homes, dog runs and the facility is not yet built) County AC tries hard to place the dog into a home or with a breed rescue. The fourth hold on dogs means that no (adoptable) dog from this City is put down without the Rescue having the chance to pick up the dog. This means that the local Rescue picks up the harder to place adoptable dogs whenever possible. The County AC partners and helps in the decisions by advising on health and temperment.

In the agreement it is written that cats not claimed by the owner cannot be adopted to anyone other than the Rescue. Even if someone falls in love with them, they cannot adopt them from AC. This Rescue has the resources (foster homes) and ability to place the cats. There are times when they cannot bring a cat back into their feline population. Highly contagious and serious illnesses like FeLV, FIV (unless a home is willing and ready for them), severe agression or other failing illness. Being a long haired twelve year old black cat in fair health means being adoptable. All cats are altered and vaccinated before leaving AC (California law) AC also micro chips them for the rescue. The rescue pays for the above services - which average about $75 per pet. AC gets to count them as adopted in their reports. TNR (previously ear trimmed) can be returned if in good health to their prior location if they are being cared for. For every cat the Rescue sadly leaves behind at the shelter due to health, they try to take three (3 year olds or older) from other Cities. This makes room for the other Cities' cats to have a longer stay at the shelter.

Tiny kittens taken from this City to the County AC are not euthanized, but are immediately segregated and picked up by the Rescue. The Couny AC knows of the kittens and can help reuite them if an owner appears during the retention time frame. The Rescue has the resources (skilled foster homes) to keep the kittens healthy. Moms accompany the kittens if available. Images of the moms are kept at County AC. All healthy (kittens can usually recover from URI with a good foster family) from the City return to the Rescue.

Having the County AC involved handles the legal requirements of transfer of ownership.

The Rescue stays firm in their commitment to send non owner relinquish to the County. Transfer of ownership is followed.

There is more to the agreement, yet hopefully this will give others some thoughts on changes they can make in their communitties to help solve the problem of legal ownership and keep local government, AC and Rescue as partners in addressing pet overpopulation.

By the way..... What happens if someone is out of town and their pet is picked up and they cannot claim it in time? Ownership is tansfered to the Rescue. This has occured to an overseas Marine and a couple of other times. The owner later is notified by a friend that the Rescue has the pet. Ownership has transfered to the Rescue. If the pet has been adopted ownership has transfered twice. For the Marine, the new optive family chose to reunite the dog with him on his return to the states. If the Rescue has the pet and the previous owner can prove it was their pet by vet records, images etc. and that the animal owner tried to act responsibly to loate the pet including having repeatedly contacted the County AC (long distance phone records help) then th eRescue may choose to reunite the animal. In the rare occaision that this happens, the previous owner pays for all expenses (usually quite a bit more than the subsidised adoption fee) to the Rescue. The previous owners are thankful to have their pet back (and ownership transferes back to them) and grateful that the Rescue stepped in to keep their pet from being euthanized.