Winnipeg Animal Services Decreases Euthanasia Rate

In 2014, Winnipeg Animal Services euthanized the fewest number of dogs in their recorded history. Chief Operating Officer, Leland Gordon said, “Euthanization numbers are way, way down and that makes everybody happy. In the last three to five years, it’s nosedived to the lowest number we’ve ever had.” In 2014, only 52 dogs were euthanized whereas in 2002 they had 486 euthanizations.

Gordon said, “Animal Services is being very progressive trying to help the animals. Our staff and volunteers do everything we can to save as many as possible. More animals are being saved at the end of the day.” Winnipeg Animal Service credits a partnership with the City of Winnipeg homepage, Facebook, and 311 agents. 311 agents can now return licensed pets without the animal entering the shelter.

The Winnipeg Humane Society has not seen a significant change in the number of dogs euthanized. Communications Director, Aileen White said that the Society helps the city and will take dogs that need extra training and veterinary care. White believes that the new Joyce Gauthier Behaviour and Training Centre will help keep more pets at home. White said, “Most dogs in our community would benefit from it in some way.”

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Will North American Shelters Run Out of Dogs?

The National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA) aims to decrease the euthanasia of adoptable pets in American shelters. In order to be effective, they need greater knowledge of the pet marketplace. Recently NAIA conducted some research on shelter dogs. It is difficult to quantify the number of animal shelters in the United States, estimates range from 3,500 to 6,000.1

Several decades ago overpopulation was an issue across the United States however it has been eliminated in several regions. Now that shelters are feeling less pressure from canine overpopulation their roles are changing. In order to continue to offer dogs to the public some shelters are now importing dogs 1. The public safety issues of importing dogs will be discussed in a future InfoStream article.

Why are shelters running low on dogs? NAIA President, Patti Strand believes that one cause the American Kennel Club (AKC). The AKC encourages thoughtful selection of pets, sterilization of all dogs not intended for breeding, and highlights the commitments required to be a responsible dog owner. While the lack of dogs has been noticed across Canada and the United States, animal rights groups are still trying to eliminte American dog breeders. The main issue with this is that it is nondiscriminatory and negatively affects both responsible and irresponsible breeders. Strand said, "These extreme animal rights groups have become so ideological and irrational that they would rather risk importing rabid dogs from Asia and Africa than support humane, responsible breeding in the U.S. so consumers can purchase the dog of their choice from a responsible and in many cases regulated American breeder." 2 

   

Dr. Emily Weiss from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) writes, “I do not think pets should be just for certain people (those who can afford a puppy from a high-end responsible breeder, for example), but for all people who want to care responsibly for a pet. The crisis is that we are running out of puppies! There are many communities that simply do not have juvenile dogs entering their sheltering system. This is great news!! And, this is the source of my concern. So here is where the crisis is – when there is a need, the void is usually filled. How do we want the void left by the lack of puppies to be filled? I know one thing we can all agree on, we sure do not want it filled by puppy mills and those who breed with no understanding of the importance of early socialization, proper nutrition and the like.” 3

How the BC SPCA is Addressing Community Cat Overpopulation

A survey in the United States of 1,011 people revealed that the surveyed Americans prefer the trap-neuter-return (TNR) approach to control the population of unowned “community” cats. The TNR initiatives in the United States have had a high success rate because they reflect community values. More details on the survey can be found here.

British Columbia has suffered with feline overpopulation for many years which the BC SPCA has been tackling along with rescue groups, humane organizations, veterinarians, and other animal lovers. TNR is one of the ways British Columbia is trying to reduce the feral cat population. Feral cats can often suffer from illness, injuries, starvation, frostbite, and predator attacks. Amy Morris (BC SPCA Policy and Outreach Officer) feels that Canadian attitudes towards community cats are similar to those found in the United States. Morris states, “Many cat lovers provide food, water and shelter for the cruelly abandoned felines, but they lack the financial resources to pay for spay and neuter surgeries.”

In 2014, $80,000 was allocated towards helping community cats and another $80,000 will be allocated in 2015. The BC SPCA is dedicated towards the success of their initiative and is ensuring that all of the cats in a colony or community are sterilized. This success is possible due to help from the communities themselves. Morris says. “They [communities] have shown that by working together, British Columbians are capable of solving the problem of cat overpopulation.”

READ THE BC SPCA NEWS ARTICLE HERE