News from the Humane Society of Tampa Bay
Humane Society Changes Direction in 2004 - by Nancy Escobar
"We're going to stop authanizing adoptable pets." announced Linda Baker, The Humane Society of Tampa Bay's executive director. "We know this program has worked in other cities, and we're going to work hard to make it happen here."
As of January 1, 2004, The Humane Society of Tampa Bay ceased using euthanasia as the primary means of animal population control.
The initiative is called "No More Homeless Pets," which is a project of the Animal Coalition of Tampa (ACT). Essentially, our goal is for every dog and cat to live in a loving and healthy environment. While the goal is long-term, we're ready for the challenge.
Tampa Bay's "No More Homeless Pets" initiative will be modeled after the Richmond SPCA's highly successful program. You can visit their website at www.richmondspca.org for an overview of what's to come. While the phrase "no more homeless pets" may seem over-ambitious, we like to refer to the program as "No Kill for Space."
What is "No Kill for Space?"
Linda Baker explained "No Kill for Space" at an informational meeting attended by our employees and volunteers on October 21, 2003.
"There will be some circumstances where an animal will be euthanized, but we will no longer euthanize one pet to make room at the shelter for another," she stated.
One circumstance she addressed dealt with unhealthy animals that are released to the HSTB. She stated that the owner of an unhealthy surrendered pet would be contacted to take the animal back, but if the owner never returns, the unhealthy animal would likely be euthanized.
No More Strays
The biggest change the community will see is from the perspective of the HSTB acting as a shelter. In the past, citizens brought any animal they could not care for to the shelter. Under the new program, only owned pets are accepted at HSTB - and those pets will be limited to dogs and cats. This means that those who want to release a pet to us, need to show proof of ownership (veterinary records, tags or licences). In a nutshell, we will no longer be able to accept strays. People can continue to bring homeless animals to Hillsborough County Animal Services. There are also a variety of animal rescue missions such as: Friends of Strays and St. Francis Society Animal Rescue. We are more than happy to assist people by providing contact information for these agencies.
Also new is the appointment policy. In January, we began accepting eligible animals for release by appointment only. Because we are a "No Kill for Space" facility, we will only accept an animal when there is an open space for it. We now have a behavior counselor to help families overcome behavior issues that many have caused pets to be surrendered to the Humane Society in the past. It is our goal to keep the pet with their family, if we are unable to do that, we would like to help the family hold on to the pet until an opening becomes available.
Spay/Neuter Program is Key to Conquering Overpopulation
The spay/neuter clinic is an integral element of the Humane Society and it will be promoted even more in 2004. The reduced cost sterilization is still available to all pet owners, along with basic vaccines.
Myths about spaying and neutering deter many people from sterilizing their pets. Some owners do not want to deny their female pet the experience of birth. Others say they want their pet to bear a liter so their human children can observe the miracle of birth. However, veterinarians present many benefits to spaying and neutering pets. Sterilization removes the risk of many illnesses to pets, and sterilized pets are more likely to live longer, healthier lives.
But more importantly, spaying and neutering helps to control the pet population in our community. We'd like to get more dogs and cats off the streets and into loving homes. We acknowledge that more education is required regarding this important issue, and our commitment to humane education is stronger than ever.