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Old January 20th, 2010, 12:39 PM
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Love4himies Love4himies is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Boating in the 1000 Islands
Posts: 17,769
Just found this:

http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/pet/1558592474.html

OSPCA/THS killing cats (Toronto & Elsewhere)

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Date: 2010-01-18, 1:50PM EST
Reply to: comm-kzhds-1558592474@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]

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Re the posting concerning the OSPCA/THS killing cats, there are a few points worth noting.

1) Will you all please stop using the word euthanize when what you actually mean is KILL. Euthanasia means the ending of a life to prevent further suffering. Ending an animal's life because you don't have enough room for it, or because it has become in some other way inconvenient, is not euthanasia, it is KILLING. Using euphemisms to make people feel better about it is not helpful. We do not want people to feel comfortable with the notion of killing animals needlessly.

2) The person who posted saying that this is not the OSPCA/THS's fault is bang on. Just because you have chosen to dump your unwanted pet at a shelter so that someone else has to do your dirty work does not absolve you of responsibility or remove the blood from your hands.

3) The reality is that the OSPCA are actually being responsible about this. Cats which are in overcrowded conditions become stressed and sick, and the OSPCA is well aware just how many cats can be crammed into a given space before this starts happening. What is the point of keeping cats alive so that they all become sick and eventually die anyway, particularly if no-one is coming to adopt them? We saw the result of this misguided thinking at the end of last year when the reality of the situation at THS started to become clear. No Kill is possible, but it takes a lot more than just not killing anything - it takes a community effort to put a number of things in place, one of the main requirements being people to adopt the animals the shelter takes in.

I know this will not sit well with a lot of people and some moron will probably flag this post, but it does not change the facts. Unless and until everyone steps up and takes responsibility for their pet, and accepts that a pet is FOR LIFE and not just until the novelty wears off, then we shall continue to read posts about cats being killed because there is not sufficient space for them. Oh yes, it's easy to love the little kitten or puppy, but what happens a few months down the line when it has become a less attractive cat or dog, probably with a few bad habits as well (because, hell, what's the point of training it when you can just get a new one when it's not cute any more?). Then it's off to the shelter, or here on CL or Kijiji, and then out of sight, out of mind, right? Who cares if the person that took the free pet then sells it on to a research establishment, or to a dog fighting ring for use as bait, or to a puppy farm or backyard breeder (and this is the fate of most intact young dogs given away free), or the shelter kills it because no-one comes along to give it a nice new home and they've run out of space, as long as the original owner doesn’t have to look into that animal's eyes every day and realize how fundamentally they have failed?

I expect that most people reading this post are sitting back complacently, thinking that none of this is their fault. WRONG!!! This situation has not come about overnight, it is the cumulative effect of years of failure to act properly and it is everyone's fault. We have all sat back and allowed the development of a society in which life is held in scant regard, no-one is held accountable for their actions and it's all about the latest fad. If you have ever bred a litter of puppies or kittens (even "accidentally"), then it's your fault. If you have ever sold, given away or otherwise disposed of a pet, it's your fault. If you have an unneutered cat or dog in your house right now, it's your fault. And if none of these apply to you, then you still cannot sit back and congratulate yourself, because there are two sides to this problem - the negative side of animals being irresponsibly bred and disposed of, and the other side of no-one coming forward to adopt the ones which find themselves in this situation. Could you find a place in your heart and home for one of these unwanted animals? If not, can you give some money or donate some pet food or maybe even volunteer with one of the many charities that are attempting to stem the tide? How about writing to your local councillor to ask him/her to support spay/neuter and TNR (trap/neuter/return of feral cats) in your area, to reduce the numbers of unwanted cats and kittens? Why not talk to your neighbour/friend/family member about that unneutered cat they allow to wander around the neighbourhood?

If everyone was willing to do just a little bit, we could turn this problem around in ONE YEAR. If we could get all the cats spayed/neutered, or at least confined indoors, then we could avoid the seasonal flood of kittens, and people would start adopting the older shelter cats. We can do this - will you help?

Or would you rather wring your hands ineffectually over postings about cats being killed for lack of shelter space?



Location: Toronto & Elsewhere
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PostingID: 1558592474
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