Thursday, December 2, 2004

Do you want to save a dog from getting shot in the head?

Did you know that in parts of Nova Scotia the way that dogs get euthanized (killed) at animal control facilities is by being shot in the head with 22 calibre rifles? That that is the actual protocol? That the animal control constables are supposedly "specially trained" to shoot the animals in a way as to kill them instantly? But what if the dog flinches? How often does that happen? How many times does it take more than one shot? And what does that do to the animal control officer over time? How hard must their heart become? One can only imagine.

Annapolis County (among others) uses this method to kill their dogs who happen to end up in their pound - and it just came before their town council to try and have a veterinarian euthanize the animals by lethal injection instead and it was over-ruled! Does nobody in Annapolis County like animals? What I find most amazing is that Annapolis Royal was just named "the World's most livable small community" - certainly they didn't take companion animals into consideration when they were making their choices! I am personally disgusted by the whole county currently. Completely and utteruly disgusted.

The only person I have one ounce of compassion for is the animal control officer - Ron Sabean - who has to do the dirty work of the county and has to look in the eyes of the discarded and unwanted dogs of all the people before he loads up his gun and shoots the dogs in the head and kills them.

The reason I'm writing this post is because I just found out that the animal control facility has a website that lists the dogs available for adoption with pictures of the dogs there. So if you're looking for a new canine life companion and thinking that you might want to make a difference in the life of one dog - these would be the dogs who would most appreciate it I think. These dogs didn't end up in this pound through any fault of their own, and they don't deserve to die an inhumane death because some bureaucrat doesn't feel like paying an extra $10 per dog to euthanize them humanely. So please think about taking a drive up to Annapolis County and seeing the dogs up there - I hear that it's a lovely drive, and the towns and villages up there are quite scenic. I'm sure Mr. Sabean would love to adopt these animals out to good homes rather than have to apply his only other current option...

Their website is: http://www.annapoliscounty.ns.ca/Poundweb/dogpound.htm

Here's a picture that they have listed as one of the dogs available - she looks beautiful! (especially without a bullet hole)


One of the dogs currently at the Annapolis County shelter - she's only 35-40 pounds and she's around 1 year old - a shepherd mix Posted by Hello

All the rescued dogs, cats, and rats in my house who would be dead now thank you - Charlie, Daisy, Mrs Dingle, Jada, Gizmo, Whisky, Liam - but not Buttercup - since she's small and beautiful anybody would have adopted her - but especially Philip thanks you because he especially should be dead now.

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Update - December 31, 2004: Good news! There is some humanity in Annapolis County...

from the Chronicle Herald:
http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/uncgi/archive/7displaystory?2004/12/31+188.raw

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Animal euthanasia policy changed

By IAN FAIRCLOUGH / Valley Bureau

ANNAPOLIS ROYAL - Annapolis County council has changed its animal euthanasia policy after receiving complaints from the public about the old practice of shooting unclaimed animals at the pound.

Council voted unanimously last week to switch from shooting to lethal injection, with the remains to be incinerated afterward rather than buried, Warden Peter Newton said.

The time an animal will be held at the pound was also increased from three to five days.

The issue came up at a committee of the whole meeting last month after public complaints about the old practice.

Mr. Newton said that since that time no animals have been put down, and county staff have been helping find homes for impounded animals.

Unclaimed animals are placed in foster homes or adopted out by the Companion Animal Protection Society of Annapolis County, a group formed after euthanasia became an issue in the past couple of months.

"It's a very active group of citizens that has mobilized to create the foster program," Mr. Newton said Thursday.

Photos and descriptions of available animals are being posted on the municipality's website at www.annapoliscounty.ns.ca

The warden said the county's animal control officer still has clearance to shoot animals in extreme cases, such as when a vicious animal is deemed an immediate saftey threat.

He said the decision to cremate the dogs was an environmental one.

"Because they're going to be filled up with barbiturates, we just felt it was better to have them cremated than have whatever is put into them leak out into the soil sometime."

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