Heather in Neverland Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Here is a hypothetical what would you do? This island has an ENORMOUS amount of stray dogs running wild. They are everywhere. You have to be careful not to hit them as you drive around the neighborhood (at least I am careful...I have seen A LOT of dogs get hit right before my eyes by locals who seem to not care). These poor dogs are pitiful....starving, ribs showing, many of them have all their fur missing from what I can only assume is mange. I am sure some of them carry diseases and many of them are very aggressive. In fact, in our new employee orientation manual there is a section that talks about taking a large stick with you if you go out for a walk or a jog because you will need it to fight off dogs. My co-worker has been bitten twice by stray dogs and a few weeks ago a tourist was mauled to death by two strays dogs. The government does nothing. I don't know if there just ISN'T a "humane society" like we had in Michigan or if there is one and it just is poorly run or what. But gosh, what do you do with a situation like this? No one wants these dogs as pets. They are disease-ridden and wild. Their "quality of life" is just heart-breaking. I am an animal-lover. My mom is a PETA activist. So know that I say this with a heart for animals.... I feel like the government should round up all these stray dogs and euthanize them from both a public safety stance and "what's best for these dogs" stance. What do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 I am an animal-lover. My mom is a PETA activist. So know that I say this with a heart for animals.... I feel like the government should round up all these stray dogs and euthanize them from both a public safety stance and "what's best for these dogs" stance. What do you think? I agree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnL Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Oh, that is so sad! I am not one to euthanize without a very good cause. But I agree, this sounds like a good cause. The quality of life for those poor dogs sounds absolutely pitiful! At this point, even if one did try to take one in for a pet, I doubt most of them would make a good pet. And yes, public safety must be considered, as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mooooom Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Hawaii, for instance, which used to have a serious stray cat population, is the catch, neuter/spay, and release program. It keeps the population from increasing, over time decreases it immensely, and people find it a lot more socially acceptable. I believe in Puerto Rico, this is implemented for dogs as well (along with a lot of rehoming to the states). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Heather, I think you are right about the euthanization. It is very, very sad. But the dog population is probably out of control due to lack of access to neutering or the inability of most residents to afford neutering. Even if some group of veterinarians tried to catch a bunch, it wouldn't help the starvation/disease issue. Where there are starving animals, there is aggression and disease and that's just a huge public health hazard. We just had a child mauled to death by two feral pit bulls. Another woman was seriously injured by a feral german shephard. As much as I don't like to see it done, I think you are right that the animals need to be rounded up and put down. Try to think of it this way, starving to death is a slow, painful, wicked process. It's actually much more merciful for the animal to just fall asleep and never wake up. Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Hawaii, for instance, which used to have a serious stray cat population, is the catch, neuter/spay, and release program. It keeps the population from increasing, over time decreases it immensely, and people find it a lot more socially acceptable. I believe in Puerto Rico, this is implemented for dogs as well (along with a lot of rehoming to the states). Yep. Euthanising for cases of severe damage. These are boonie dogs. It's unfortunate, but even in the US, hunting is used as a form of population control on animals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4wildberrys Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Yep. Euthanising for cases of severe damage. These are boonie dogs. It's unfortunate, but even in the US, hunting is used as a form of population control on animals. :iagree: A person was mauled to death?! Yikes. These aren't pet doggies anymore, they are predators, so yes, euthanization is totally appropriate. And I have seen pictures of the dogs with the mange, which is a horrific site. Neutering and spaying the puppies would be a good idea, but euthanizing the suffering and aggressive ones would be the humane thing to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Yep. Euthanising for cases of severe damage. These are boonie dogs. It's unfortunate, but even in the US, hunting is used as a form of population control on animals. Very good point. Why do we hunt wild animals but let feral animals starve, get hit by cars and attack people? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Here the state government is toying with the idea of a bounty on feral dogs. I live on the very edge of the beginning of bush and National parks. Most of the area in a 100 km radius is heavenly baited with 1080 for foxes and wild dogs. The destruction a pack of wild dogs can cause in a farm is horrific. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Very good point. Why do we hunt wild animals but let feral animals starve, get hit by cars and attack people? Here there are professional dog hunters, paid by Parks to reduce the feral dogs and cats in the bush. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Very good point. Why do we hunt wild animals but let feral animals starve, get hit by cars and attack people? Feral animals can be as great or worse of a problem as wild ones. I've dealt with both (opossum, groundhogs, coyotes...boonie dogs and barn cats). Our barn cat issue was so bad that the mice were coming into the house were were renting in the country. We had to tell the landlords that, despite their no pet rule, we HAD to get a cat. We rescued a Russian Blue (hypoallergenic, kid friendly, intuitive to people's emotions, etc...best darn cat ever and intelligient...and I'm a dog person!). He took care of the mouse problem within 1-2 months and by the end of summer had chased off most of the barn cats, allowing just a couple of females to stay. He even got along with the goats (nothing like finding them cuddled up together in the pen). Things have to be kept under control. I wouldn't walk by myself at night in certain areas because of coyotes. I left a spoiled roast out at the end of the property one night, knowing that something would clean the thing off. About 5am we heard a pack fighting over the thing. We stayed inside and waited a couple of hours. At 7am we went out and there was a perfectly white (almost bleached) bone left...that was it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 When we were in the Philippines we had strict instructions to get rabies shots immediately if bit by a dog. Dogs run around wild there too and those that were owned, were kept as fierce guard dogs for the most part. I agree that there is a point where animals cannot be rehabilitated due to disease or feral behavior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRAAB Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 As much as I hate it, I do agree with the OP. Very sad situation. Is it just part of their culture? I have friends who do nothing to control the cats on their property. They will put scraps out for them but never buy cat food. The kids play with them like they're pets. (I worry about what germs they're carrying) There seems to always be a new litter being born. There must be 30+ cats at any one time. They have several acres, but it is littered with cats. If one gets injured, they do nothing. The parents were raised this way and they figure it's just nature - the way God intended. That was their actual answer when I asked why they don't neuter or spay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 As much as I hate it, I do agree with the OP. Very sad situation. Is it just part of their culture? I have friends who do nothing to control the cats on their property. They will put scraps out for them but never buy cat food. The kids play with them like they're pets. (I worry about what germs they're carrying) There seems to always be a new litter being born. There must be 30+ cats at any one time. They have several acres, but it is littered with cats. If one gets injured, they do nothing. The parents were raised this way and they figure it's just nature - the way God intended. That was their actual answer when I asked why they don't neuter or spay. Many times these cats aren't "owned". Our barn cats weren't. We rented, they were already there, people dump cats at farms (I remember this being common practice when I was a kid to keep the cat populace down in town...take them out to the country), and really no one is going to put out money on a cat that 1) you might not be able to catch 2) you have no personal attachment to 3) may not be alive the next week due to any kind of natural causes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 You could always spearhead a free spay/neuter program. If you wanted to, try contacting the SPCA and PETA. See if they are interested. ------- O/T friends of mine that had been to Iraq saw the darker side of such a large feral population. They shot and killed manymanymany dogs and cats that were relying on war to feed them (iykwIm). Since speaking with them, I have way less problem with 'hunting' feral animals. The idea of someone becoming Purina does not appeal to me at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRAAB Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Many times these cats aren't "owned". Our barn cats weren't. We rented, they were already there, people dump cats at farms (I remember this being common practice when I was a kid to keep the cat populace down in town...take them out to the country), and really no one is going to put out money on a cat that 1) you might not be able to catch 2) you have no personal attachment to 3) may not be alive the next week due to any kind of natural causes. I do understand that. This family gives their food scraps to the cats, the children play with them - they are tame from all the attention. Every time another litter is born, they put up a sign saying "free kittens" although they're never able to give them all away - so the population grows. These people truly believe they shouldn't interfere with nature - although feeding them seems to be interfering. And if they're asked if the cats are theirs, they say no, I don't own them??? Anyway, this really has nothing to do with the OP, just that I assumed this was a cultural thing regarding animals. It just made me think about this family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Heather, I think you are right about the euthanization. It is very, very sad. But the dog population is probably out of control due to lack of access to neutering or the inability of most residents to afford neutering. Even if some group of veterinarians tried to catch a bunch, it wouldn't help the starvation/disease issue. Where there are starving animals, there is aggression and disease and that's just a huge public health hazard. We just had a child mauled to death by two feral pit bulls. Another woman was seriously injured by a feral german shephard. As much as I don't like to see it done, I think you are right that the animals need to be rounded up and put down. Try to think of it this way, starving to death is a slow, painful, wicked process. It's actually much more merciful for the animal to just fall asleep and never wake up. Faith The problem is that if you don't get every last one then the population comes right back up again, with all the same problems. Trapping, vaccinating, worming, and spay/neuter then releasing the healthiest, and euthanizing the sickest is the way to control the population. At least that is what is done on some other, smaller islands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Many times these cats aren't "owned". Our barn cats weren't. We rented, they were already there, people dump cats at farms (I remember this being common practice when I was a kid to keep the cat populace down in town...take them out to the country), and really no one is going to put out money on a cat that 1) you might not be able to catch 2) you have no personal attachment to 3) may not be alive the next week due to any kind of natural causes. This is a huge public health issue. Cats carry roundworms and hookworms, which are transmissable to kids. Kids can and do go blind and get brain damage from roundworms. Not to mention the rabies issue, although I realize that may not be as much of a problem in some areas. Where I live rabies is endemic in the racoon population. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 [quote=Ishki;2382441 Is it just part of their culture? I think it's probably more an issue of limited resources. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 As much as I hate it, I do agree with the OP. Very sad situation. Is it just part of their culture? I have friends who do nothing to control the cats on their property. They will put scraps out for them but never buy cat food. The kids play with them like they're pets. (I worry about what germs they're carrying) There seems to always be a new litter being born. There must be 30+ cats at any one time. They have several acres, but it is littered with cats. If one gets injured, they do nothing. The parents were raised this way and they figure it's just nature - the way God intended. That was their actual answer when I asked why they don't neuter or spay. Ugh;. The problem with that logic is that God didn't create cats, people did. The species didn't exist, we made it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 This is a huge public health issue. Cats carry roundworms and hookworms, which are transmissable to kids. Kids can and do go blind and get brain damage from roundworms. Not to mention the rabies issue, although I realize that may not be as much of a problem in some areas. Where I live rabies is endemic in the racoon population. I'm aware of that, but how many people do you know that have the ability and money to gather up all the strays around them and take them in to a vet? Honestly, most of them do need to simply be put down. I know I certainly didn't and the landlords weren't going to put out that kind of effort. The best we could do in our situation was to take care of the house (other people rented the barn) and scare off as many cats as we could. My oldest daughter did try to rescue an abandoned kitten, but that kitten only survived a couple of days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted January 30, 2011 Author Share Posted January 30, 2011 I think I will contact some kind of animal group and ask about it. You would think that if tourists are being mauled to death the government would do something? If for no other reason than to avoid legal action? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 I think I will contact some kind of animal group and ask about it. You would think that if tourists are being mauled to death the government would do something? If for no other reason than to avoid legal action? Would the government care about legal action? Not every country has everybody taking the government to court. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 You would think that groups like PETA would be happy to help if you do all the leg work ;) Would the government care about legal action? Not every country has everybody taking the government to court. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pqr Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 You would think that groups like PETA would be happy to help if you do all the leg work ;) I doubt that the government would let PETA within a thousand miles, and truth be told I would not blame them. In my experience once someone gets angry enough they simply poison the dogs, not nice, certainly not pleasant but what normally happens. Hotel managers will frequently do this or small farmers who are losing chickens etc. to the dogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I doubt that the government would let PETA within a thousand miles, and truth be told I would not blame them. In my experience once someone gets angry enough they simply poison the dogs, not nice, certainly not pleasant but what normally happens. Hotel managers will frequently do this or small farmers who are losing chickens etc. to the dogs. I don't really think feral populations can be made "safe" even if they are fixed. I'm for euthanizing. All the same, the op doesn't want to euthanize, if I were her I'd go to PETA. :lol: I didn't know people had the choice to keep PETA out of somewhere. They seem as zealous as many other groups that get far more grief. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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