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Animals Need Responsible Owners
Animals Need Responsible Owners
 I
told my neighbor that I was making a headstone with the epitaph
"here lies the last dog that used my lawn." He asked me
to make him one also. Animals, their companionship and the problems
they cause impact everyone negatively or positively. By the way,
I love dogs, the problem still exists, and I didn't make the headstone.
Animal control receives many animal-related calls to their office
each day. These issues range from snakes and spiders to mountain
lions, from raccoons and skunks to stray cats and dogs. Pelicans
have even come to our shelter. Some animals are just dropped off
at the shelter. Many of these animals come to us injured or neglected.
Some calls refer to problems that residents have with dogs or cats
that belong to neighbors. Vicious dogs and neglected animal calls
sometimes require an officer to respond. Animals can be impounded,
if the situation demands, for the safety of the animal or the residents.
The people at the shelter sometimes receive animals that are visibly
neglected or injured to the point that they have to be euthanized.
Most animals are held for as long as possible to give the rightful
owners a chance to claim them. No animal is taken in and put down
immediately unless there is a humane reason to do so.
Animals are kept as strays waiting for an owner to claim them as
required by city ordinance for 3 days. If they are not claimed,
they then become adoptable. City ordinance requires animals to be
held as adoptable for 5 more days. They are usually held for 10
or more days. Some are obviously cared for and obviously someone's
pet. There are also several rescue groups in our area that give
homes to some of the animals that are not claimed or adopted.
The cost to adopt a dog or cat is $20. Some are already spayed or
neutered. There is no additional fee for these animals. The animals
that are not spayed or neutered must be so before adoption. There
is a fee for this service, and the new owner pays a reduced fee
and gets a voucher to take to an area vet for this procedure. This
amount is quite a bit less than the normal fee. Also included in
the adoption is a free office visit and health exam to several of
the vets in our area.
There are leash laws for dogs within the city limits. Dogs must
also be licensed if the dog is to live in the city limits. The leash
laws apply whenever the dog is off the premises where it lives.
There is a fine for a dog at large and the owner can be fined in
addition to an impound fee. There are no leash or license requirements
for cats. There is an impound fee for cats that have been impounded.
If there are wild animals such as skunks or raccoons that become
a problem, traps are available at the shelter. If the problem animals
are cats, traps are also available for a small fee. Do not touch
a wild animal. If contact is made with a wild animal, it must be
sent off for rabies testing. Bats, raccoons and skunks are common
carriers of rabies.
There are no ordinances regarding the need for shelter for large
animals such as horses or cattle. However, if they are neglected,
left in the sun with no water, or appear emaciated, the animal control
officers can step in and provide for their care, citing the owners
if necessary.
The number to the St. George Animal Shelter is 634-5829. They will
be happy to answer any questions. If you have an animal, care for
it and provide food and water for it. There are many owners that
feel that their animals are members of the family. The bottom line
is responsible ownership by caring people.
http://www.thespectrum.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060821/NEWS01/608210311/1002
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