Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 12, 1993 TAG: 9303120046
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
WE MIGHT LEVY FEES FOR LETTING PETS BREED
I was appalled when I read Timothy and Sandra Price's letter (Feb. 28, 1993), "Bad experience with pet adoption." This was the second 8-week-old puppy I had heard about in the past week that had died after being neutered by the Humane Society [of Montgomery County].I called every veterinary clinic in the Blacksburg phone book doing companion animals, including the Virginia Tech Veterinary School, and only two spay or neuter an animal under 6 months of age. Of the two vets who will do the surgery at a younger age, one recommends that the animal be 6 months old, optimally, and the other 4 to 6 months old.
When I spoke with several humane society people, they said they are changing the policy from 8 weeks to 18 weeks of age before requiring the surgery. This is still not old enough.
Puppies from unknown backgrounds like those at the humane society are at higher risk than animals that are the product of reputable breeders who ensure that their bitches are dewormed and inoculations are up to date.
The humane society says 30 percent of the animals adopted (that's approximately 240 animals each year) are not neutered, despite the new owners' written agreement to do so. Even when the humane society collected part of the neutering fee at the time of adoption, people still weren't having their animals fixed.
Is it because people just don't have the money to pay for the procedure? Or is it people think that one more litter of kittens won't matter?
There has to be a humane answer. Perhaps it is for animal lovers to petition our congressmen to enact a law requiring everyone whose dog or cat breeds to pay a fee of maybe $20 for each puppy and kitten and using this money to pay for the care of shelter animals.
The advantage of this would be that the animal shelter wouldn't have to impose a neutering clause and the owners can decide for themselves if allowing "Fifi" or "Tabby" to breed is worth the $60 or $160 fee. The shelters would have the additional money to help care for all the homeless animals.
There were 51 litters advertised in the New River Current and Roanoke Times & World-News classified on Sunday, Feb. 28. With an average of five animals per litter, that comes to 255 animals at $20 each. That's $5,100 in fees that would be owed.
Add the animals in other local papers, trading posts and on bulletin boards and you have a substantial amount of money for just this one week, and kitten season hasn't even started yet.
Does anyone have a better solution? I think if we are going to keep a no-kill shelter in Montgomery County we had better find one soon.\ Jackie Collins\ Blacksburg
Collins is a board member and wildlife rehabilitator with the New River Wildlife Center.