Stop Killing Homeless Pets in Animal Control (GA)

SEPRR along with Fix Georgia Pets and several other related organizations advocate and propose specific Animal Welfare policy changes and agenda in their home State of Georgia. Most other states policies similar to Georgia addressing only the Symptom of pet overpopulation, instead of addressing its cause, exponential reproduction by increasing numbers of unsterilized pets. 

Non-Georgia/USA Residents: Please use this for your own government/region/state to proceed with a similar plan. We would love to lend a hand! Since the related laws are handled at the state level usually by  Deparments of Agriculture in each State in the USA, and the founders of SEPRR live in Atlanta, the capital of Georgia, we are taking local action since we are here. 

Current Animal Welfare policies provide NO END IN SIGHT to the killing in Animal Shelters and the EXTREME EXPENSE to TAX PAYERS.

For 70-80% of homeless pets at risk IN Animal Shelters relates to sterilization. The remaining balance relates to owners who purchase a pet, then toss it away, usually for Personal Problems, Allergies, or a new Child in the family. (Read more here: http://ow.ly/747rK). Only 10% are unadoptable animals.

WE kill around 300,000 homeless pets per year in Georgia..

WE pay over $100 million year in taxes for related expenditures.

WE can end this waste and expense.  

WE can save pets and save tax money.

WE, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to Enact reformative expansions to the Current Animal Welfare Act as follows:

1-     Georgia Department of Agriculture (GADOA) will require of animal control and rescue licensees periodic reporting to a central open source database of related operational statistics including operating costs.

a.     The minimum datapoints to be collected are visible on this PDF document, http://ow.ly/747lj. The database shall publicly accessible via the internet for public awareness, policy improvements, research, and analysis.

b.     The database shall enable tracking of the animals in the system via consistent Tagging Nomenclature for all Licensees. From pick up, induction to animal control, to rescue organizations,  to adoption by new owners, or to the “room” euthanized and disposed.

2-     After the Reporting Policy is established and 12 months of running statistics are gathered:

a.     Offer FREE spay-neuter for a period 3 years for the entire state, with voluntary participation by owners and veterinarians.

                                                    i.     Trial Program: To prove the business model and savings for Statewide implementation, SEPRR will fundraise and manage a Trial Program comprising a region of ten “average” Georgia Counties. This trial will last one year, and accurately track the cost/benefit of the program over the one year period. The statewide program is estimated to reduce animal control populations by at least 40%, saving $40million-$65million & 100,000 animals by Month 24 of the program.  Our goal is to determine if the Trial Program matches the Per Forma estimates in the 12th month of the Trial. Assuming there is a significantly compelling proof of the business model resulting from the Trial, Dept of Ag would be empowered and justified to roll out the program Statewide, since the program would align with Dept of Ag’s mission by humanely managing the pet population and reducing expense to the Tax Payer.

1.     Critical To Success: Geo-Tagging the location where Homeless Pets are picked up from the streets. Any "hot spots" producing unusual numbers of homeless animals will become visible. Deploy already existing non-profit funded mobile spay/neuter clinics. Encourage local residents to sterilize their pets by offering incentives such as Wal-Mart gift Cards, etc. Current Mobile Clinics simply have no way to focus their efforts since they are unable to visualize the "Hot Spots".

b.     Ongoing Low Cost Sterilization: Following the Free 3 year program, the state would provide on-going, needs-based, state-wide low cost spay-neuter with a differentiated licensee fee. Grant Applications by related organizations would distribute the budget for actual use. Licensing would be handled by the state, not by the 159 individual counties, the current Status Quo.

c.      Consolidate Animal Control Operations. After the Three year program, many Animal Control operations will become redundant. Via a change to the States Constitution that currently saddles each county with the responsibility of the Animal Control function, place the remaining Animal Control operations, assets & related staff under the management of the Dept of Ag. (Ops and Staff are easily transferable. How we transfer related assets, buildings enforcement vehicles,  remains a question.)

                                                    i.     No Kill Shelters: Adopt a policy that mirrors the CAPA, Companion Animal Protection Act (http://j.mp/osg9Cn) template promoted by No Kill organizations, to optimize animal control services delivery and management and improve conditions for the animals in the shelters.

                                                   ii.     Under NO Circumstance will a healthy, adoptable Homeless Pet ever be put at risk of Euthanasia owing to the irresponsible actions of its owner.

3-     Funding: Public, Private, and Non-Profit Funding

a.     Realign the existing Georgia Spay/Neuter License Tags funds.

b.     Further Suggestions:

                                                    i.     Voluntary add-on donation at Point of Sale at Pet Service Providers (pet food stores, vets, groomers)

                                                   ii.     Sales Tax on Pet Products

                                                  iii.     Differentiated Pet Licensing $25/yr Unaltered, Free Altered

                                                 iv.     Corporate Gifts

                                                   v.     Foundational Grants

Respectfully,

Concerned Citizens

Note: Georgias statistics are in line with most other states, especially ones that neighbor Georgia.   

Every year in Georgia, over  300,000 Homeless Pets are euthanized costing taxpayers as much as $100 million per year.  90% are Adoptable Homeless Pets, only 7% are reclaimed by owners, 10% adopted from animal animal control, 12% pulled by rescue groups,  and 61% are KILLED by County Animal Control Services  throughout Georgia's 159 counties.  SOURCE: SpotSociety.org &GVAW.org

Related Data and Articles:

60% of DeKalb County Animals Die in 2010-2011 $1,750,000/YR Spent  http://bit.ly/nCiDwz 

SPOT Society 2009 Atlanta GA MSA Homeless Pet Euthanasia Statistics:

"54% Euthanasia Rate  56,381 killed of 105,186 Animals Impounded in 16 Atlanta Metro Counties 2009" . SOURCE: SpotSociety.org

http://bit.ly/qdFJ2M  105,186 Impounded - 56,381 Homeless Pets KILLED  [54%kill ratio] in 16 ATL Metro Counties 2009

2007 cost analysis found euthanasia by injection costs half of carbon monoxide method http://ow.ly/17FmR

Georgia Voters for Animal Welfare (GVAW) Survey of Animal Services in Georgia 2009 REPORT http://bit.ly/2009GVAWReport


"Puppy-mill prescription" Why some states do not have the will to end Puppy Mills http://ht.ly/1UBSm

AJC:  Senate bans gas chambers for animal euthanasia; sparks Holocaust, suicide debate http://ht.ly/1TB3f

AJC: April 19, 2010 Counties killing dogs, cats by the thousands http://ht.ly/1TB6L