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- Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
- Path: sparky!uunet!spool.mu.edu!wupost!decwrl!rtech!ingres!jpk
- From: jpk@Ingres.COM (Jon Krueger)
- Subject: Re: shelter puppies
- Message-ID: <1992Nov16.074328.2418@pony.Ingres.COM>
- Reply-To: jpk@Ingres.COM (Jon Krueger)
- Organization: Ask Computer Systems Inc., Ingres Division, Alameda CA 94501
- References: <9211150138.AA2058@f723.n202.z1.fidonet.org>
- Distribution: jadpc2
- Date: 16 Nov 92 07:43:28 GMT
- Lines: 42
-
- ELAINE_GALLEGOS@f703.n202.z1.fidonet.org writes:
- > The pound is disease central...people with sick animals they
- > can't afford to treat, strays, accidents, unvaccinated dogs
- > and cats, infected wounds, droppings tracked everywhere.
-
- Typical misconceptions here.
-
- First, if the animal is sick and it's contagious, we're not going to
- put it up for adoption, and it's not going to stay with the other
- pets. It will be quarantined until the owner reclaims it, it gets
- better, or we euthanize it. Second, animals from accidents, or with
- wounds of any sort, as well as showing any symptoms of disease, will
- automatically be quarantined for observation, whether stray or owner
- released.
-
- Third, unvaccinated dogs and cats arrive in about the same ratio as is
- found in the population at large. Fourth, the general health of
- shelter pets is about that of the population at large. The difference
- is that no one's inspecting the population at large and separating
- sick or possibly sick ones from the rest.
-
- Fifth, at my local shelter, every cage and kennel of every pet is
- cleaned and disinfected, every litter pan changed, every floor hosed
- and squeegeed, every day, 7 days a week. Stop by anytime and I
- challenge you to step in or track a dropping. But better yet, visit
- your local shelter. If it doesn't meet these standards, do something
- about it. Like volunteer. And if it doesn't have cages and kennels
- for each animal and a separate quarantine area, do something about it.
- Like start a new building drive.
-
- > Many people will walk along the cages, sticking their fingers
- > from one canine nose and mouth to another. Then to their own
- > noses often as not.
-
- You bet. That's one reason why we take such precautions to clean,
- inspect and quarantine. The risks to each dog at a well run shelter are
- the same as those found at a well run kennel, less than those found by
- letting your dog encounter other dogs from the population at large.
-
- -- Jon
- --
- Jon Krueger jpk@ingres.com
-