Comments on: King County “getting out of the shelter business”

By: R W STECKELBERG DVM

R W STECKELBERG DVM — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 16:48:54 +0000

kansas city,missouri shelter was privatized 10 months ago. I received the contract. This is a tremendous undertaking but has been very successful. adoptions have tripled and we are approaching to a point where all adoptable animals are adopted. We receive between 700-800 animals monthly. would be very happy to talk to anyone from seattle.

R WAYNE STECKELBERG DVM

By: nwcitizen

nwcitizen — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:22:34 +0000

King County hasn’t the resources to adequately care for the people who’s basic well being it is responsible for let alone the animals. What about “there’s not enough money to go around” don’t you understand?

If people want homeless animals to be cared for then they need to step up and do it themselves. You can supply your own reasons for it but King County cannot do it any longer without adversely affecting a whole lot of humans.

By: Debby Norman

Debby Norman — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 01:38:27 +0000

I agree with everything posted above. This action by King County is just astonishing. I thought county agencies were about planning and process.

That would have required King County to come up with a plan to place the 400 animals in its custody and then announce the shelter’s closure. Instead, they did it in reverse. They’re closing and dumping the problems on everyone else.

What about those 400 animals? Every other county shelter and rescue group combined couldn’t take them all. I’m afraid we may end up with a mass putdown, with the county shrugging its shoulders and saying, well, there was nothing else we could do.

The steps suggested above will ease the crisis if more people are willing to take them. But I think the people concerned about this need to get organized, hold King County’s feet to the fire and do what it takes to keep this issue visible.

I’ve never tried to organize anything, but I know the first step is linking people together. Facebook might be one place where I could try to do that. If anyone has any other ideas, please let me know.

Attention must be paid.

By: Kobe's Mom

Kobe's Mom — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:08:32 +0000

Great article, asking the right questions and putting the animals first. The capricious manner in which the decision was made to close KCACC does not surprise me. Exec involvement in KCACC and its reform/future has been schizophrenic to say the least. They went from “everything is fine, just leave us alone” two years ago, to “just give us the $ and everything will be fine” to now “nothing can be done, we’re getting out of the business tomorrow”. Every decision that has been made has been a political one, with the animal’s fate and welfare coming in dead last, if at all. It’s been excruciating to watch and I hope for all our sakes, it’s over soon, especially for the animal’s. The leadership demonstrated by the Seattle Humane Society has convinced me that taking animal sheltering out of the public sector is the single most progressive move King County can make, but they’ll need the financial support to make it a success. In the right hands, tax-payer fees and donations can build a world-class foster/adoption/spay and neuter outreach program, making King County the model across the country. Animal cruelty investigations belong with all other law enforcement mandates, with KC Sheriff’s dept or local PDs where appropriate. The writing is in the wall for KCACC, but the transition plan cannot be subject to the whims and manipulations of the powers that be. The public should demand that the animals be first and foremost in any decision, building a coalition to support the model animal care and protection program on our horizon.

By: Steve

Steve — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 23:01:47 +0000

So rather than a planned, staged transition, King County will shut down animal control and sheltering just as crudely as it operated them. Expect a rise in dog bite incidents and stray animals, and an increase in local citizens shooting dogs in the street because no one is available to respond to their calls. Expect more feral cats. Expect police officers to throw their hands in the air when they’re suddenly overwhelmed with a new responsibility that they have neither the time nor the training to deal with. KCACC needs to shut down, but not because of a lack of funding — the funding needs to go to an organization like Seattle Humane that’s proven itself to be a progressive, well-managed animal welfare group, and smaller contracts with smaller rescue and foster care groups wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

Everyone is talking about budgets these days, but there are some things you do regardless of the cost because they’re necessary and right, and animal welfare is one of those things. Animal control is one of the most basic functions of local government, and it benefits people just as much as, if not more than, it benefits animals. And there are grants out there if King County goes no-kill, which it’s my understanding it was supposed to have already done, but KCACC refused to comply.

By: Kara M.

Kara M. — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 22:36:40 +0000

Great article! You hit the nail on the head.

The reality is that thousands of animals are surrendered in the Puget Sound region every year and there are now even fewer places for them to go. Shelters in the area are already over-burdened and under-funded, so it will be tough times at many shelters in the region.

I hope that this will mobilize citizens to think about what type of animal community we want to build. It is noble to talk about what excellence in animal care looks like, but excellence requires A LOT of time, work and money. I think this area is capable of being exemplary in care for their animals. All the pieces are here.

It goes without saying that preventing animals from coming into the shelter should be priority #1. Spaying and neutering can go a long ways towards ending overpopulation.

In the shelters, there are big things that many people can do to help. Foster homes for adult cats, dogs without manners and a variety of critters are desperately needed. Animals cannot be rehabilitated in a stressful shelter environment. Foster homes are the only way that agencies have been successful in reducing euthanasia. They will be needed now more than ever.

Donations also are imperative for our work. We are able to treat sick dogs and cats thanks to the generosity of our donors. Just $5 can cure an upper respiratory infection.

As we move forward, think of our local shelters and how we can all pitch in to help. Seattle feels like Dogtown, USA everyday. How can we translate that into the best community for animals in the country?

-Kara Main-Hester
Seattle Animal Shelter