937 Dead…
No, this isn’t a disaster death toll; this is the number of cats euthanized by the local animal shelter from the beginning of this year through September, accounting for a 66% kill rate for those cats brought in. This number does not reflect the actual number of cats who are brought in to other local facilities or abandoned and left to die.

So what is the problem Idaho?

For those who have utilized this option, how do you feel about your role in this statistic? Next time you feel the need to alleviate your “burden” in this fashion, ask the shelter if you could be the one to inject the sodium pentobarbital and be present during the euthanasia.

There are other options to killing unwanted cats; it is actually prevention; spaying and neutering. It also entails not getting a cat if you are not committed to caring for it (its entire life).
Despite the poor excuses leading to its surrender to the local shelter, such as; “we are moving and can’t keep it”, “it grew up”, “it sprays the furniture”, (unneutered male) etc., abandonment or dumping it at the shelter are not options.

The Idaho Falls animal shelter manager states that Bonneville County has kept their involvement at a minimum. They never question the budget allocations paid to the city shelter, the county just opens its purse and doles out the change. Shouldn’t we be concerned about that form of fiscal mismanagement of our tax dollars? It seems that our County representatives haven’t looked into helping to alleviate some of this burden. They would rather keep spending our money freely, without looking into public education funding, implementing and enforcing licensing, neuter/spay laws, which includes strict fine schedules, or sponsoring low cost clinics.
Bonneville County Commissioner, Lee Staker, has stated that the shelter has presented “ideas”. Either the ideas have not been implemented, or they are not working. He also recommended that local “Kennel Clubs” should become involved as well. When asked about specific county involvement, well, realistically there has been none. Mr. Staker; local kennel clubs concentrate on dogs, not an epidemic problem involving cat over-population and mismanagement. Perhaps if Mr. Staker would stop warming the county seat he has been elected to fill, and get out of it for a visit to the local shelter and humane society, he might see that there is a problem, and it is not getting better.

There wasn’t an overwhelming response when contacting the Mayor’s office as well.

One cost that spills over is that Jefferson County doesn’t have its own shelter facilities, so people from that area bring their unwanted pets to Idaho Falls, Who absorbs the cost for this? YOU

An example of the mind set prevalent in the area is that of an Eastern Idaho Medical Center health care employee, who, instead of spaying their female cat, will take its newborn kittens away and shoots them. There is a moral backbone for you. Would you want someone with such character taking care of you?

So what is wrong Idaho?

Unfortunately, after contacting four Idaho Falls veterinary offices, not one of the four offered low-cost spay/neuter clinics. However, three out of three in surrounding communities did.
Get involved people, better yet, spay or neuter your cats! Although the local shelter is located across the street from the county dump, it isn’t the “animal dump”.

Local veterinary offices wake up! Remember the oath you took when graduating from Veterinary School?
“Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health, the relief of animal suffering, the conservation of livestock resources, the promotion of public health and the advancement of medical knowledge.
I will practice my profession conscientiously, with dignity and in keeping with the principles of veterinary medical ethics.
I accept as a lifelong obligation the continual improvement of my professional knowledge and competence.”
What is your obligation in helping to alleviate this problem?

Consider the following:
1.Over $2 billion is spent annually by local governments to shelter and ultimately destroy 8-10 million adoptable dogs and cats due of shortage of homes. Source: Business Wire Features
2.The main reason for cat overpopulation is feral, free-roaming, un-owned cats. Source: Save Our Strays
3.An estimated 6 to 8 million dogs and cats are euthanized in shelters each year. Millions more are abandoned, only to suffer from illness or injury before dying. Source: Doris Day Animal League
4.The perceived high cost of altering is not the problem, but the lack of education, i.e., its benefits.
5.While prices vary considerably, many humane societies and municipal animal control departments offer low-cost spay/neuter services. And while the cost of surgery may seem high initially, it's a real bargain when compared with the cost of raising a litter of puppies or kittens. Spaying and neutering also saves taxpayer dollars. On average, it costs approximately $100 to capture, house, feed, and eventually kill a homeless animal - a cost that ultimately comes out of all our pockets. Source: Doris Day Animal League
6.The cost of having a pregnant female can be much higher than cost of spaying.
7.Seven dogs and cats are born every day for each person born in the US. Of those, only 1 in 5 puppies and kittens stay in their original home for his/her natural lifetime. The remaining 4 are abandoned to the streets or end up at a shelter. Source: The Humane Society of the United States
8.Neutering the male before he is sexually mature will inhibit such 'territorial' linked behaviors like urine-marking and aggressive posturing.
9.Neutered pets get along much better with each other.
10.Unneutered male cats spray floors and furniture. They rarely develop this habit if neutered early. Older 'sprayers' usually stop within a few months of being neutered.
11.Altered pets don't get fat simply as a result of sterilization, but by eating too much and exercising too little.
12.Altering doesn't adversely affect the personality of your pet. Any changes brought about by spaying/neutering are generally positive. Neutered male cats usually stop territorial spraying. Neutered dogs and cats fight less and are less likely to become lost due to straying from home in search of a mate. Spayed animals do not go into heat or need to be confined indoors to avoid pregnancy. All altered animals remain protective and loyal to their guardians. Source: Doris Day Animal League
13.A reduction in pet overpopulation will mean a reduction in animals running loose, causing traffic hazards, quarantines, bites, fighting and yowling complaints.
14.Approximately 71% of cats and kittens entering shelters are killed, based on reports from 1,038 facilities across America. Source: National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy - Shelter Statistics Survey
15.The public acquires only 14% of its pets from shelters; 48% get their pets as strays, from friends, from animal rescuers, 38% get their pets from breeders or pet stores. Source: The Humane Society of the United States
16.Only 42% of cat guardians and 39% of dog guardians are aware of the pet-overpopulation problem. Source: Massachusetts SPCA survey 1993
17."Owner ignorance" populates shelters with abandoned cats.
18.Pets that spend most of their time separated from the family, either in crates or in the yard, are at greater risk of being surrendered to shelters. Consider this: While our world consists of interests outside our pets, we are their ENTIRE world and depend on us exclusively for their socialization and well-being.
19.An un-spayed female cat, her mate and all of their offspring, producing 2 litters per year, with 2.8 surviving kittens per year can total 11,606,077 cats in 9 years. Source: Spay USA