Do We Really Need Animal Control?

"Stop killing innocent animals, asshole shelter"

"What a sick cold P.O.S. Karma is coming for you. How could you go to sleep....cold blooded"

"No mercy!"

"What a fucked up job! I'd kill myself if I had to euthanize dogs"

"This guy must have ice water in his veins"

It is so common for people to judge and verbally abuse those who work the closest to homeless animals. I used to be one of them. As a kid, I would always give the side-eye to animal control officers rolling past on my street. The truth is, though, that we NEED animal control! Animal control is exactly as the name describes - *animal* *control*. Controlling animals.

Here in the U.S, we have the luxury of believing that we do not need animal control, and we feel justified in verbally abusing the officers because they have what we consider to be an unpleasant job. Anyone who has traveled to a third world country, though, sees first hand what a community looks like when they have no animal control program in place. Starving, injured dogs. Street dogs being physically abused by residents. People contracting rabies through dog bites. If you want to see one person's account of what life is like for street dogs in developing countries, check out this article: http://bit.ly/2qSonln  

My own experience took place in the Caribbean back in 1993. In one city, the tourist area was overrun with stray dogs, mostly intact males, sunning themselves on the sidewalk. We were approached by a nursing female looking for food. In Aruba, there were packs at a distance from the tourist area, fighting with each other. While I never felt any danger, it was very depressing to see.

Petting a Caribbean street dog

Regardless of whether I felt danger, danger certainly exists. Areas with uncontrolled populations of animals are at risk of zoonotic diseases, with rabies being the most deadly. Parasites and fungal infections are common problems for people exposed to stray animals. The street animals themselves find no relief from these ailments, and in fact, often fall victim to unspeakable cruelty by residents. They are regarded as pests and are treated as such. Starvation, abuse, and mass extermination by government officials are these animals' reality.

When you compare the lives and deaths of these street dogs, the shelter is suddenly not such a bad option. These animals get daily meals, a bed, sometimes a kind word or some playtime with volunteers. If they are not rescued or adopted, yes, they get killed. But, the sting of a needle and an anesthetic overdose is FAR preferable to extermination by brutal mass poisoning. Or, death by starvation. Severe beatings and abuse. I could go on.....

Animal control and rescues have the same end game in mind. Getting animals off the streets. The animal control officer, whom those vile things were said about, literally counts the days when he does not have to euthanize. Most animal control officers I have known are animal lovers and pet owners, and they also mourn the animals that have to be killed.

Let me end with this little nugget for you to chew on:  Would you rather have pets euthanized by animal lovers, or animal haters? I have seen both and the latter is not pretty. Animals are going to be euthanized, that is a fact of life until there are stronger spay and neuter laws in place. I would far prefer to euthanize them all myself than to let a hater get their hands on one of my beloved shelter animals. Refusing to take on that part of the job will not make it go away. It will simply be passed on to the haters.