West Valley View: Pet Dumping on Rise at County Parks

West Valley View - July 17, 2009

Forgotten victims
Pet dumping on the rise at county parks

by Beth Kristin Ott
assistant editor

At a time when budgets are tightening, some of the first victims are often the family pets.
Cats, dogs and even reptiles are being left to fend for their lives in record numbers, in record heat.
“An animal being dumped in the elements of our weather, without food or water, is a cruel and horrible way to leave your pet,” said Sonia Hernandez, Animal Defense League of Arizona’s outreach coordinator. “Give them a chance. If keeping your animal is no longer an option, then we urge people to take their pets to a shelter, which may mean ‘the pound.’”
Hernandez, a Goodyear resident, is saddened by the effect the economy is having on pets, she said. Leaving domesticated animals to run wild is not the answer.
“First, it is a crime in Arizona to abandon an animal. Second, your animal will suffer, it is 115 degrees outside. Third, we already have too many homeless animals in our communities,” she said.
If families cannot afford necessary services such as vaccinations and spaying/neutering, assistance is available. The local spay/neuter hot line is 602-265-SPAY.
“We cannot stress enough the effectiveness and importance of spaying/neutering your pet,” Hernandez said. “If your pet is spayed/neutered, you are guaranteed that there will be no surprises and additional animals to worry about feeding.”
From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Maricopa County Animal Care & Control will hold a free rabies vaccine clinic at Ace Hardware at 610 N. Estrella Parkway, Goodyear. Applications will be available for no-cost spay/neuter vouchers, as well.

Fido and Fluffy can’t make it in the mountains

Ranger Doc Talboys is seeing an increase in domestic animals at White Tank Mountain Regional Park. Stray dogs can be seen in record numbers in the park and on the roadside in Waddell, he said.
"It’s more than I’ve ever seen before,” he said. “We are seeing dogs and some snakes being left around here. Forgotten victims Pet dumping on the rise at county parks I am seeing dogs running loose in packs, which can be dangerous.”
A dog left in or around the mountain parks isn’t likely to survive, and some can be dangerous to the wildlife and people in the park.
“They won’t survive the heat,” Talboys said. “They get hit by cars, or wild animals get them. These animals are not used to hunting and having to find water.”
Stray packs of dogs can also be a threat to the natural wildlife, killing the park’s deer and rabbits.
“It’s sad that we live in a disposable society,” Talboys said.
A few people have also decided they can no longer care for their pet snakes and are turning them out into the desert.
“A domesticated snake is not going to survive out there,” he said. One king snake was rescued and approved by the county and Arizona Game & Fish to be adopted by White Tank Park. It now lives in the Visitors Center.
Estrella Mountain Regional Park in Goodyear has also seen an increase in abandoned pets, Ranger Patricia Armstrong said.
“People need to not drop things off,” she said. “We’ve always seen dogs, but now it’s more than ever.”
The park recently opened a tortoise habitat with two desert dwellers, and soon after found two additional, very sick, tortoises that had been dropped off in the habitat.
“These animals can have diseases that then affect the wildlife. The wild animals can be killed off by viruses not normally carried by them,” she said.
Anyone who needs information can call the Arizona Game & Fish Department at 602-942-3000.
The department runs an official desert tortoise adoption program. Domestic cats and even a pair of horses have also been abandoned in the area of Estrella Mountain Park.
“There were two horses left near the river, and thankfully they got saved,” Armstrong said.
“All the foreclosures are leaving lots of homeless pets.”

Beth Kristin Ott can be reached by e-mail
at bott@westvalleyview.com.

Pit Bull Spay and Neuter is the Solution

Today the Arizona Republic ran a heartbreaking story about local shelters being overrun by pit bull dogs. Check it out and thank the paper for running this story.

Then tell everyone you know about Maricopa County's FREE Spay Neuter Program for pit bulls. Any resident of the County is eligible thanks to Maddie's Project in Maricopa County. Once your dog is spayed, Maddie's will send you $20. Call or visit the Spay Neuter Hotline for more information. 602 265-7729

There is a similar program in Pima County, and a similar problem. Visit the Spay Neuter Hotline website, it has information on both programs.

Arizona Republic Editorial "Real Animal Lovers Spay and Neuter"

In case you missed the Arizona Republic this morning, check out the link below. Please contact the Editorial Board to thank them or post a comment. And ask your friends, family and neighbors to Spay and Neuter Today- before more litters of unwanted animals are born!

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/2009/04/02/20090402thur2-02.html

Real animal lovers spay, neuter pets
Apr. 2, 2009 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

A lot of people call themselves animal lovers. Evidence suggests that "affair of convenience" would be a better way to describe their depth of commitment.

The evidence?

Every year, about 93,000 healthy dogs and cats are euthanized in Arizona animal shelters because nobody wants to adopt them. Only about 60 percent of animals brought to shelters find a home.

Each spring, shelters see an uptick in the number of unwanted puppies and kittens brought in, says Stephanie Nichols-Young of the Animal Defense League of Arizona.

Everybody knows why. Dogs and cats are prolific breeders.

What's more, the numbers of animals euthanized don't reflect the many animals abandoned on the streets or in the desert by people who delude themselves into thinking the poor, domesticated creature will be able to survive on its own. These animals generally die hungry and afraid.

The answer - for real animal lovers - is to reduce the surplus population by spaying and neutering their pets.

Counties across the state use taxpayer funds to catch, keep and often euthanize unwanted animals.

Meanwhile, there are no-cost and low-cost spay and neuter clinics throughout the state. It's easy to find one. The toll-free number for the Animal Defense League's spay and neuter hotline is 866-952-7729. In Phoenix, call 602-265-7729; in Tucson, call 520-624-7729.

Puppies and kittens are cute. The reality of tens of thousands of unwanted animals being euthanized each year isn't.

That's why real animal lovers spay and neuter their pets.

Indigo- one lucky dog!

I wish every person who has bought a puppy mill or pet store dog, could meet Indigo.

She is a wonderful dog that someone dumped in my neighborhood. She has so much personality that she won the hearts of many--including Philip. He fell for her, and decided to adopt her. Before he could catch her, Maricopa County Animal Care and Control got her. Luckily Philip didn't forget Indigo; he went to the shelter and adopted her. That's a good thing. Indigo was headed for the euthanasia list. She's a sharpei/ pit bull mix. So she just blended-in with many other great dogs at MCACC that will never get out.

If you are thinking about adding a dog or cat to your family, please go to a local shelter. If you have companion animals, please spay and neuter. Call 602 265 SPAY, 866 952-SPAY (toll free in AZ) or visit www.SpayNeuterHotline.org

Indigo was vacationing in Palm Springs less than a week after she was adopted. I wish more dogs & cats were so lucky!

A kitty kats luck:)

If this was not a moment of "Fate", then I don't know what is...
Last night while pulling into Walgreens, my husband noticed a young cat in the bushes of a landscaped "island" next to the plaza, right off of Van Buren/Estrella Pkway. Let me add, this is a BUSY intersection. With the love & concern we both share for animals we had to try & handle her, so that we could give her safety & shelter.

The next 40 minutes were just incredible!

As we are walking to her, there she is...about 6 months old, female, black w/faint calico markings & a white chest, rubbing on the bushes, talking to us (meow meow meow) and doing the whole "I want you to pet me, but you can't touch me" walk:) Well, as we are getting cozy on the rocks to coarse her over & figure out our "who will run home & get the cat carrier" plan...a car drives up with a couple inside. We are asked (with smiles on their faces) "Are you trying to catch a black cat with a white chest because we have been feeding her & are very worried about her"?! They continue to park their car, introduce each other and then "fate". They had a trap in their car & it just so happened to be feeding time!!!

I cannot explain the joy & amazement we ALL felt. Us for the fact that we were wondering: how are we going to do this & keep her safe from running into the street, will we find someone who will take care of her (after we fix her) the way a family companion should be cared for and for the other couple-joy. Though they had the trap, their joy of having another couple there to help them with her trapping and sharing the same concerns:)

So we set the trap, put in a yummy can of wet cat food and with Little Miss Kitty (I named her:)) watching the entire time, we set the trap in the middle of the island. After a few sniffs and a couple of circles around the trap, SHE WENT IN! We covered the trap (to calm her) and loaded it up into the couples car. She was startled and scared but is now a member of a wonderful home!

The couple has a ranch with other pets that have been inherited through needing rescue (I think that is the story we ALL share) and they will be spaying Little Miss Kitty. We traded information & have already communicated this morning and have been invited to visit kitty, which we will definitely be doing:)

I, truly, believe this was "one of those moments"...Little Miss Kitty was meant to be part of her new home.

Little Miss Kitty didn't ask to be left outside to wander on her own, but now she will never be left wondering where home is:)

I am elated with this experience!!! I will keep you posted on her adjustment & spay!

Thanks for coming out to Petsmart Walk

Thanks to all the runners, walkers, tablers, two-legged and four-legged ADLA people who came-out to support the Spay/Neuter Hotline at the First Annual PetWalk. Here's some of the 5K runners/walkers at the starting line. Then a very happy Sonia Hernandez at the finish line with her son, Robert Zaragoza (ADLA's fastest runner) at the finish line.

Score one for the dogs!

Score one for the dogs!! Proposition 401, the Tucson Dog Protection Act, passed 402 to 373. Winning an election by 29 votes makes this starkly obvious: everything we did for the dogs was necessary to our success. Thank you, thank you, thank you to those who stepped forward!

There are hundreds of people and organizations who deserve thanks for their assistance to the campaign and the dogs. Among them are: Animal Defense League of Arizona, Carmen Arrison, Laura Burchette, Carol Burney, Bill Carnegie, Diana Chapin-Tsai, Kayla Coe, Dr. Phil Comer and the other 101 endorsing Tucson veterinarians, Cynthia David, Linda Dills, Christine Dorchak, Elsa Duarte, Joan Eidinger, Marion Erickson, FBI agents Mike and Jeff, Dr. Janet Forrer, Mary Gay, Greyhound Adoption League, Greyhound Network News, Greg Hale, Cindy Hall, Sandra Heater, Pete & Marilyn Kaniowsky, Bonnie Kay, Jeanne Keller, the Kislak family, Claire Klingler, KrisAnn Kokes, Janet Lang, Dona LaSchiava, Ashleigh Letofsky, Lisa Markkula, Maggie McCurry, Karen Michael, Krista Nelson, Carolyn Olson, Penny Orth, Jean Pace, Pima County Democratic Party, Joan Randles, Jim Shea, Angy Shearer, J.D. Shulec, Lorri Tracy, Jerry Tucker, Marcie Velen, Gary Vella, Susan Via, Jeff Vifquain, Maru Vigo, Chris Wencker, Ron & Roberta Wright, and Karyn Zoldan.

For those of you who weren't able to follow the campaign, we used your donations for three direct mailers to South Tucson voters, two door hangers that we passed throughout the community, 100 yard signs, and 176 radio spots on 4 Spanish stations. That may be impressive, but I'm sure what put us over the top were the intrepid volunteers who went door-to-door and talked with voters.

Kennel operators will have to either cook the diseased meat that they use or buy commercial pet food, they'll have to segregate the males and the females, and they'll have to find ways to get the dogs out of their cages at least six hours a day. If they try to get away with doing nothing, they're in for a rude awakening. We intend to offer a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone violating the new law.

We're also staying on top of investigations by the Department of Racing and the Arizona Veterinary Examining Board. There is so much wrong with the abuse of anabolic steroids at the track that this matter won't be going away any time soon.

In other wonderful news, Massachusetts voters banned greyhound racing and California voters passed the most significant ballot initiative in U.S. history, protecting more than 20 million animals and almost certainly setting into motion a momentous change in the way that Americans view and treat animals raised for food.

Our bottom line is that we're elated at the good sense of the voters, we're enormously grateful to all of you who helped make this possible!

Your Office Manager

Jamie Massey