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Old February 5th 04, 01:20 AM
Kalyahna
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"Cat Protector" wrote in message
news:gpXTb.29217$L_4.27930@okepread01...
You support the shelters that euthanize?


I work for one, and am a certified euth tech.

That in term says that you support
the practice of euthanasia to clear space in a shelter.


No. It doesn't. It means I support the euthanasia decisions of my
supervisors and coworkers. This means, as Fan said, repeat bite cases,
terminally ill cases, and cases of outstanding aggression. VERY rarely are
animals ever pulled for space, and when that comes up, it is STILL the sick
or injured or aggressive animals that are euthanized. This is because we
function as a county shelter. We MUST take in strays and hold them through
the stray period, we MUST take in protective custody animals. We have no
choice, and sometimes that means my supervisors have to make terrible
choices when we have no more foster homes and no more cages.

I also have to disagree with your position that those in no-kill
shelters shut themselves off to the reality of the over-population. The
shelter workers at no-kill facilities are very much aware of the problem

and
should be congratulated for their hard work.


I don't doubt they work hard. It was a generalization on my part, and for
that I apologize. However, it can be held as true in specifics, as you, at
least, seem to think that only no-kills do any good for the animal
population. Which is blatantly false, and you know it.

It takes more guts for them to
work there than those who work at shelters who just kill off the animals

to
save space.


CETs rate higher for compassion fatigue than nurses in emergency rooms. Not
because we feel guilty for what we do, but because we're dealing with
emotions on a staggering scale. You seem to assume that shelters that
euthanize enjoy it or take pride in it. You know how we sleep at night?
Because a pit bull who bit a child in the face cannot bite anyone else, that
a cat who aggressively attacks other cats and bites people repeatedly will
scar no other cats and no other people, that a tumor-infested rat will be at
peace. And when my cats grow old and start to fail (not for another 10+
years, if I have my way), I will schedule appointments at my humane society
and hold them while they go to sleep. I will KNOW the effectiveness of the
methods used, and I will know that whoever does the injection understands my
grief and grieves with me. Contrary to what you seem to think, I have NEVER
worked with more compassionate and generously spirited people.

Many of the no-kills have volunteers who foster the cats in
their own homes,


Really? I foster. Every full time employee in the kennel department who is
capable of it fosters. One of them has a litter of kittens and a blind dog
as fosters, and two dogs of her own. Another has two cats, both of which
she's adopting. One of them does reptile rescue. One of them does rabbit
fostering. One of them fosters semi-ferals. We ALL foster for space reasons.

spend time with the felines,


The front office comes to us with recommendations for placement, or to ask
where a certain cat is. My supervisors listen when we mention petrified cats
that are coming around, the foster coordinator takes seriously our
suggestions for adult cats in need of foster care.

feed the cats, and of course
press harder to get the ones that have been in the shelter system for far
too long, adopted.


Really? You think so? So THAT's why we had that whole Top Ten thing... and
the radio and TV spots... and the satellite centers in a local pet store
chain...
So sorry that any euthanizing shelters with which you've had contact were
****ty conveyor belts of dead animals. But those shelters aren't everywhere.
And they sure as hell don't employ myself or my friends.

No-kills will have my respect since it takes more to save
a life than to take it away.


Ah. We're all dead inside. Uncaring and terrible people. *sarcasm* You do my
job for a week, friend, and we'll see how much you find it takes.

-Kal