The Simple Solutions for Shelters
This week, I took four stray dogs to area shelters. I didn’t really have a choice, and I was grateful that taking them to the shelter was an option, since I couldn’t just leave them on the streets. I’ve heard people complain about shelters, saying the impound fees they charge are too high, or it’s not a good environment for a dog or a cat. Some think, incorrectly, (at least in Western Washington), that dogs who go to the shelter will be euthanized because the shelter will run out of space. Others complain that it’s hard to reach them on the phone. I have had very positive experiences with the King County shelter, including their animal control officers. There have been a few occasions when some other shelters did things in a way that, if I had my preference, they would have done it differently. In general, all these local shelters are doing a great job, considering the immense strain we subject them to. If people have problems with our local shelters, we have two simple solutions: help them out by donating and volunteering, and place fewer demands on them by giving every pet an ID tag and a microchip.
The King County shelter lists over 300 found pets, most of which are at the shelter right now. (Some of the listed pets are in the homes of the finders or fosters.) All of those dogs and cats would have simply gone right home if they had registered microchips, ID tags, or licenses. All of our shelters in Western Washington could be almost empty most of the time if the owners of dogs and cats would simply give them microchips and properly register them. Our local shelters have budgets in the millions of dollars, mostly spent on dogs and cats that don’t have a $40 microchip. I think it’s very rare that any Western Washington shelter would start euthanizing dogs and cats because they ran out of room, but if that ever is the case, it would be 100% avoidable if everyone would do the simple thing, the easy thing, really the least you could do for a pet, and get them a microchip. I carry a microchip scanner in my car, and the four dogs I took to shelters this week did not have microchips. If they had chips, I would have returned them to their homes instead of taking them to the shelters. These dogs were beautiful, kind, gentle, healthy, and young. I personally would have loved to have all of them in my home, but I already have five dogs. I find about 100 stray dogs a year, and I can’t keep them all in my home, as much as I would like to.
The Lost Dogs of King County group on Facebook helps reunite at least 10,000 dogs every year. For the most part, these are dogs that are kept out of area shelters because we use social media to connect finders with the families of the lost dogs. Those 10,000 dogs lost and found and helped by our LDKC Facebook group wouldn’t even have been listed on our page if they had ID tags. If someone found a dog with a tag with a current phone number, they would simply call the owner, and not go to the trouble to make a Facebook post. Our mission at Lost Dogs of King County is to protect and serve the dogs in the Greater Seattle Area. We are happy to do so, and it’s always great to see a dog reunited with his family. Also, I’m glad we can keep most of those dogs out of local shelters. However, each and every dog listed in our group as found would have simply been reunited with the owner in a few minutes if that dog had an ID tag.
Of course, if cats and dogs would stop going missing, then having microchips and ID tags would be less of an issue. For both dogs and cats, we offer easy advice to help them avoid becoming lost. Mistakes can happen, though. Just the other day, I let my dogs in the back door and I had forgotten that I had left the front door wide open, to cool the house down. I was puzzled when I started finding my dogs, one by one, in the driveway. Fortunately, I rounded them all up quickly, and they were never lost. All of my dogs have chips and tags, just in case. Although I have taken multiple, redundant measures to make sure my dogs don’t go missing, or if they do go missing they can be returned quickly, if for some reason one of my dogs would end up at a local shelter, I would happily pay any impound fee to get my dog back safely.
Twenty-two years ago, I went to the King County shelter and got a crazy, beautiful, funny, happy dog. He literally changed my life. Because of him, I ended up getting another dog, and another dog, and eventually started volunteering for Missing Pet Partnership. Now, I spend at least 80 hours a week working to help lost pets. I have a wonderful family of dogs who were all unwanted by someone. They are my most valued possessions. They are my family. Two of them are search dogs, my working partners. Dogs are my life, now, and it all started with a mutt from the shelter, Porter.
Before you complain about your local shelter, just run down this checklist:
1. Does your dog or cat have properly registered microchip?
2. Does your dog or cat have a legible ID tag with a current phone number?
3. Does your dog or cat have a current license?
4. Have you checked with all of your friends and family to make sure all of their pets have chips and tags?
5. Have you donated to your local shelter?
6. Have you volunteered at your local shelter, walking dogs or cleaning cat cages?
7. Have you taken all of the loss prevention measures in these articles for dogs and cats?
8. Have you contacted your city or county council member and asked for an increased budget for your local shelter?
9.Are all of your pets spayed and neutered?
If you have done all of those things, then I’m sure you won’t complain about your local shelter. If you haven’t done all of those things, then shut up.
My sentiments exactly.. if you care Anything at all About your pets, tag, chip, license, donate, volunteer And spread the word….😋
Agreed 1000%