North Carolina in dire need of an animal protection act

[Guest guest]

Hello--The problem in many shelters in NC is that there is no

oversight of municipalities or counties. They govern their own, so

to speak. The same does not apply for non-profits, however. They are

regulated by the state dept. of agriculture. There is reference to

humane euthanasia methods in the state law in the rabies section.

But again, there is no one to enforce it.

 

There will be legislation introduced in 2005 that didn't make the

2004 session that would change this. We need everyone in NC to urge

their legislators to support the Animal Protection Act. You don't

need a bill number (there isn't one yet anyway) because all of the

legislators are aware of this proposed legislation (it caused quite

a stir among the legislature). Hunters and breeders are strongly

opposing EVERY aspect of this legislation, even though NOTHING in

the current language would affect them except a miniscule assessment

on pet food.

 

Your suggestion for prosecution is a good one--the problem is that

you would have to find a county prosecutor interested in pursuing a

case. And as we all know, they aren't likely to prosecute " their

own " (meaning city or county officials). There have been a few

private law suits filed against counties, but it hasn't made all

that much difference statewide. I think it was Carol who made an

excellent point in her post: where are the outraged LOCAL citizens?

These are ELECTED officials, and the community's taxes are funding

the shelter. Therefore, the elected officials should be held

accountable for how the money is spent and how the shelter is being

run. And if it is clear that the method of euthanasia is in

violation of the state law, why aren't they demanding that the

shelter come into compliance? The answer is that not all people

consider animals to be a worthwhile cause, and this is particularly

true in rural communities. In other words, what's missing from the

picture is strong outrage at the LOCAL level. Alice Singh and the

Yadkin County Humane Society are doing what they can, but without

the community expressing their dissatisfaction and demanding change,

it is a tough battle. Outrage from " outsiders " can only do so much.

These county officials need pressure from the local citizens who

have the power to vote them in or OUT.

 

 

AnimalShelterReform , HeidisLegacy@a... wrote:

> Could the " citizens " force the State Attorney (or whatever you

have up there)

> to prosecute for animal abuse. We, too, in Florida have a double

standard -

> citizens cannor abuse or neglect without arrest and prosecution,

but it goes

> on all the time in too many shelters.

 

336 961 2606 Yadkin County Animal Control

 

 

 

Posted on Mon, May. 24, 2004

 

 

 

No pet control clinic in budget

 

Council members point to tight budget year

 

MICHELLE CROUCH

 

Staff Writer

 

 

 

After learning about the thousands of animals killed annually at the

Charlotte-Mecklenburg animal shelter, City Council members pledged

last year to make changes.

 

But the city's proposed 2004-05 budget doesn't include the $482,000

Animal Control officials requested for an in-house spay-neuter

clinic -- a key step that could reduce the death toll.

 

And council members said Sunday it's unlikely the clinic will get

added in a tight budget year.

 

" It's something we definitely need to do because it will save us

money over the long run, " said council member Susan Burgess. " But

there's been almost no discussion about it that I know of. So I

don't know if it will happen this year. "

 

Burgess and her colleagues will spend the next three weeks making

changes to City Manager Pam Syfert's $1.56 billion budget proposal.

The community will have its last chance to comment publicly on the

budget tonight. The council will vote June 14.

 

The Observer's " Death at the Pound " series reported last summer that

Mecklenburg has a high animal euthanasia rate compared with other

counties its size. Council members received dozens of calls and e-

mails from constituents pressing for change.

 

Charlotte kills about 15,000 animals every year by lethal injection.

Experts say that number will continue to grow unless the city takes

steps -- by spaying and neutering -- to reduce the increasing

population of unwanted pets. Charlotte now spends no public money on

sterilization.

 

Charlotte's Animal Control bureau asked for $482,000 to build a spay-

neuter clinic at its shelter, which serves all of Mecklenburg

County. The request included $282,000 for the building, and about

$200,000 in annual operating expenses.

 

Syfert said the city can't afford the clinic.

 

" We really didn't have the money to add any new things this year, "

she said.

 

Councilman Don Lochman said he didn't even know it was left out of

Syfert's proposal. " It's regrettable, " he said. " That's one thing I

thought we'd get a pretty good bang for our buck out of. "

 

Spaying and neutering has saved money in other parts of the country.

In New Hampshire, for example, a statewide low-cost spay-neuter

program saved $3 in animal control costs for every $1 spent on the

program. And it saved animals' lives: Between 1993 and 2001, the

state recorded a nearly 75 percent drop in the dogs and cats killed.

 

Capt. Tammy Williams, who oversees Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal

Control, said she's still hopeful the clinic will be included in the

final budget. " We've made the best case we could make, " she

said. " All the experts agree that spaying and neutering is the

secret to reducing the unwanted animal population and the

euthanization rate. "

 

Supporters of the spay-neuter clinic are not the only ones pushing

for a change in Syfert's budget proposal. Arts backers are lobbying

hard for approval of the Arts & Science Council's $88 million

request for cultural facilities, council members said.

 

Though they are still frustrated that the ASC won't rank its

projects, several council members said Sunday they plan to look for

a way to pay for at least part of the request.

 

" Their proposal is a valid one, " said council member Nancy Carter, a

Democrat. " It's something we ultimately need to do; I'm just not

sure we can do all of it this year. "

 

However, Republican Lochman said he thinks arts council supporters

are in " la-la land " if they believe the city will fund all $88

million.

 

" We're using all the hotel-motel tax money on the NBA arena, and we

knew that when we voted on it, " he said. " But in Charlotte, we don't

like to live with the results of our decisions. "

 

Most council members say they're not willing to hike the city tax

rate, which hasn't risen for 17 years. That leaves a difficult task

to those who want to change the budget:

 

" If the council wants to add anything without raising taxes, " Syfert

said, " they'll have to make some cuts somewhere else. "

 

 

North Carolina Puppies in the " Kill Box "

In a North Carolina " shelter, " dogs and puppies just weeks

old are

crammed on top of each other inside a windowless, dark " kill

box, "

where they are gassed with carbon monoxide. Watch now to find out

what you can do to help stop this agony.

 

 

 

http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/video.asp?video=yadkin_county

 

http://www.peta.org/feat/acgas/index.shtml

 

http://www.peta.org/feat/yadkin/let2.html