pugsnmutts "
... and for those who still think that animal shelters are mercilessly exterminating the animals, do pay spca or paws a visit one day, n try to understand the situation from their side... "
Rather than keep asking people to understand them and justify why they need to continue with their killings of many healthy animals, our local kill-shelters like SPCA should get internet savvy and surf the internet in order to update and enlighten themselves to see what their modern counterparts around the world are doing in order to successfully solve similar stray animal problems and why they have drastically changed (abandoned) their approaches/practices from the traditional cruel methods of operations which they now openly deem as unsuccessful, ineffective (not to mention cruel and inhumane) and does not solve the problem (though they cost so much more).
They are numerous, but one such fine example is the Hong Kong SPCA:
(From http://www.spca.org.hk/eng/welfare/cccp.html)
Cats in our society occupy a spectrum that runs from the cherished, indoors-only pet to ferals who may have little or no human contact or support. Some of these felines were born in parks or alleyways, and will never become accustomed to people. Others may be "marginally owned", living in someone's backyard or garage, or travelling from doorstep to doorstep in search of food and occasional shelter or some others may even have been cruelly abandoned by their owners. As neighbourhood cats, these felines may still be used to some human contact.
At the SPCA, we strongly believe that all feral cats deserve our compassion and protection, and that there are humane, effective ways to control their populations. We support the efforts of compassionate caregivers who are working hard to make life better for feral cats.
Many people in our city complain about these cats, but simply killing them is not the answer to reducing their numbers. In recognising this, we have introduced an animal birth control programme, the HKSPCA Cat Colony Care Programme to
provide FREE spay/neuter surgery for our ferals.
What is the Cat Colony Care Programme?
Established in August 2000, the SPCA's Cat Colony Care Programme (CCCP) mobilises a dedicated army of volunteers who feed and watch over "families" of street cats in Hong Kong. The aim is to improve the lives and health of these animals and
to stabilise and eventually reduce the numbers of stray and feral cats in the community through the coordinated Trap, Neuter and Return (TNR) effort.
Volunteers are equipped with humane traps and trained in street cat care. In addition to feeding, watering and monitoring their colonies, they catch and transport "their" cats to the SPCA headquarters in Wanchai for de-sexing. The Society's vets also provide general medical treatment when the cats are brought into for surgery. Friendly kittens and adults are placed in our adoption programme.
Those deemed not suitable for domestication are returned to their respective colonies to pick up their lives again under the watchful eyes of their carers.
How TNR Works
De-sexed cat colonies first stabilise and then decrease as the breeding rate declines. De-sexed cats vocalize, roam and spray less, resulting in fewer complaints from the surrounding community. It is also likely to be ineffective in controlling numbers because cats from further a field tend to move in to fill the vacuum.
Culling healthy cats is inhumane. The colony may actually expand..
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Statistics from the States show that
"An un-spayed female, her mate and all of their offspring, producing 2 litters per year, with 2.8 surviving kittens per litter can total in 1 year: 12 extra cats; in 5 years: 11,801 extra cats!!"
An amazing figure and one of the reasons why we, at the SPCA, are on occasion left with no choice but to humanely destroy healthy, unwanted cats.
Studies suggest that if 60% of the female population is de-sexed, then the population will remain static, higher numbers can lead to decreasing populations. With education people can see the great benefits to both animal welfare and the community as a result of this effective and humane programme. It's time to be proactive and stop unnecessary killing.
At the SPCA, every feral cat brought to our centre by the registered carer is assessed before being de-sexed. They are also microchiped, vaccinated, “de-flead”, de-wormed, and treated for ear mites and other minor health problems before being
sent back to where they were trapped to live out the rest of their natural lives. There is no monetary charge to our carers for this work. The costs are met from our welfare funds and donations received from members of the public.
Feral cats on the streets may not welcome. They can cause the public to complain to the Government about their habits, e.g: crying at night in the breeding season, trespassing and marking territory with urine and faeces, raiding rubbish. The sight of unhealthy kittens and adults huddled together in alleyways is distressing.
Through this humane programme via both education of the community and action to improve the welfare of the street cats and decrease their numbers, people should be more able to accept the cats place in the community. Spay / Neuter Assistance Programme
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Spay / Neuter Assistance Programme from
http://www.spca.org.hk/eng/welfare/snap.html
Every year many thousands of unwanted puppies and kittens are born in Hong Kong, some of these litters are the result of accidental matings by pet dogs and cats.
To prevent this problem the SPCA advocates that all pet cats and dogs should be neutered (this also can have added health benefits).
The SPCA realises that in some cases there may be financial concerns such that whilst a pet owner may be willing to "de-sex" their pet they do not have the financial means to do so.
The SPCA can offer assistance with the "de-sexing" of pet cats and dogs in certain instances such as the owner is a recipient of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance or is referred by a Social Worker.