I attended the Athens-Clarke County Federation of Neighborhoods meeting earlier this month, where members of the community learn about a different topic relevant to the area each month. The August meeting focused on animal welfare in our community. Though it was location-specific, I believe much of the information can be related to other areas as well. I’ve touched on the main topics discussed among the panel of animal organization staff and the attending community members below.
ACC Animal Control Euthanasia Rates
The director of the ACC Animal Control discussed the progress of the shelter over the past 15 years as well as some of the issues they currently see most often. I was surprised by the level of lowered euthanasia rates since 1996, with it lowering from 60 percent to now 9 percent. The ultimate goal of animal control and all animal welfare groups is to eliminate euthanasia rates altogether while lowering pet overpopulation in the area. However, the community must first be better informed to fully achieve these goals.
Responding to Neglect
The ACC Animal Control officers respond to all types of animal welfare issues, but the large majority of calls are due to animal neglect (approximately 90 percent). The responding officers usually try to work with pet owners to educate them about how to better care for their animals and teach them how to improve their quality of life. Most times, the owners genuinely don’t know enough about pet ownership and don’t realize that their actions are causing their pets to be neglected. Sometimes they respond multiple times to the same homes, but the officers seemed to feel confident that working with owners generally results in better care of their animals and thus a more informed community.
Lack of Pet Identification
One of the other major issues with animals coming into the ACC Animal Control is a lack of pet identification. It is surprising how many pets go without collars, tag, or microchips. And quite often, animals will have collars but no ID tag attached. Though some owners say that money is a factor in the lack of identification, the ACC Animal Control actually provides free tags to pet owners. Also, local animal organizations provide opportunities for owners to get discounted microchips, such as the Athens Area Humane Society’s monthly Pet Care Clinics on the first Saturday of each month. Pet owners also should remember to update their tag information if the address or phone numbers change and to keep microchip information updated and registered (most require a small yearly fee of $10 to $20).
