While some would like to believe that the animals surrendered to the Nacogdoches Animal Shelter are all strays, animal shelter supervisor Jennifer Harris said that is not the case.
"We do have a majority of stray animals that come in," Harris said. "But, we also have a lot of pets who are surrendered. People will surrender them because they can't care for them, or they will say they can't care for them."
Christy Wooten/The Daily Sentinel |
A variety of animals are surrendered to the animal shelter. Most are strays but many are surrendered by their owner. Sometimes, owners bring in litters of puppies but under a new shelter policy, litters will only be accepted if there is proof the mother has been spayed or the mother is surrendered, too. The policy is an attempt to keep the animal population under control.
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It's hard to tell which animals are strays and which are being surrendered by owners because the people who surrender the animals aren't always honest, Harris said.
"Some people will come in and say an animal is stray," she said, "but the more they talk to you, you learn that it is actually their dog or cat, and they are just saying that the animal is stray. The most frustrating part of this job is when owners come in and surrender."
Why do people give up their pets? The reasons given most often are that they're moving, they have no money to care for them, they have too many pets or the animal bites, she said.
"Some people say that they are now allergic to their pet," Harris said. "That's one of my favorite reasons."
Even though some people hold the belief that their pet will get adopted if they surrender it to the shelter, that isn't always the case.
In 2006, the animal shelter received about 5,000 animals. Only 865 were adopted, while 4,000 were euthanized, Harris said.
"It's easier to put down sick animals, because you know they are suffering," Harris said. "It breaks your heart to put down healthy animals, but we only have so much room at the shelter."
The shelter averages more than 30 animals a day, and most of those animals come from the county, she said.
"Over 56 percent of the animals we receive come from the county, because there isn't an animal ordinance in the county," Harris said. "We can't go pick up animals from the county. The sheriff's office has to bring them in.
"We can't enforce the ordinance in the county, and it really is costing the (city) taxpayers more money."
There is an animal ordinance within the city limits, she said, and failure to follow it can result in pet owners receiving tickets.
In one week, Harris and her staff wrote 40 tickets, she said.
"We are really enforcing the city ordinance," Harris said. "Every animal within the city limits must be registered with the city. But, there are a lot more rules that have to be followed, and they are listed in the ordinance. Every day that a person is not in compliance with the city ordinance, they will receive a ticket."
Animal safety and care is the number one goal of the animal shelter, she said.
"A lot of the animal problems we are facing could be prevented," Harris said. "Our goal is to get an animal out of a bad situation."
According to the animal shelter's new policy, if an owner wants to surrender a litter of kittens or puppies, shelter staff will not accept the litter without proof that the mother has been spayed or unless the mother is also surrendered.
"A female dog or cat can get spayed while pregnant," Harris said. "She can get spayed up until the day she gives birth."
If a person surrenders their pet to the shelter, they will not be allowed to adopt from the shelter in the future, she said.
Harris said she recommends that all pet owners get their pets microchipped.
"We get thousands of calls for lost pets," Harris said. "The microchip allows us to identify the animals. If an animal is microchipped, it allows us to return it home faster.
"We microchip for $20, and the process takes about 5 minutes. We can only keep lost animals for about three days, then we put them up for adoption."
While at the shelter, animals receive a full exam, heart worm tests and flea medicine, she said.
"We invest time and money to make sure an animal is healthy," Harris said.
Harris said her goal is for her staff to reach every neighborhood within the city to make sure that all pet owners are in compliance with the city ordinance.
The 2008 city budget includes $62,702 for two additional animal control officers at the shelter, which becomes effective Oct. 1.
The additional staff will help address the growing pet overpopulation in Nacogdoches.
"We are like the fire department and the police department," Harris said. "Fires won't go away, crime won't go away, and the animal problem that we are facing won't go away."
For a complete list of the city animal ordinance, visit www.ci.nacogdoches.tx.us.
