[ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: GSD numbers in shelters
- From: <cnnpmm2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <windwych@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:00:05 -0400
"Dawn Restuccia" <windwych@xxxxxxxxx> writes: When I REPEATEDLY sent
letters to the MSPCA (the group that flys the dogs in) regarding the plight
of the dogs in the south, I received no response. I HAVE spoken to ACO's in
Mass...the concern is the health issues that are appearing in the southern
dogs. Screw worm is resurfacing; something that I guess has not been seen in
a long time. Also, there is a particularly NASTY strain of parvo in the
southern shelters.
Sounds like things haven't changed much in the 20 years since I "worked in
the trenches" down South. Myself, another woman, and a Vet were the sole
animal rescuers for a large, poor county in the South that had no shelter,
no leash laws, no laws against dog fighting
I paid the local kids to capture the strays and bring them to me for
"doctoring." It was heartbreaking to see these poor creatures up close and
personal. I don't how many dogs died before I could even get them to the
vet.
Hunters would keep a pack of sometimes 50 or more hunting dogs during
hunting season. When the season ended, they would release all these dogs to
fend for themselves. If a dog lived until the next hunting season, it would
be fed and used for that season, then released and the whole cycle would
repeat itself.
Also, a lot of these people living in the South don't have the money to
vaccinate or spay/neuter their dogs. Communicable diseases such as Parvo
run rampart, so I'm not surprised to hear that a new strain of Parvo has
appeared in the South. Severe parasitic infections are the norm in strays.
With their immunity weakened by disease and parasites, most dogs I rescued
had pretty awful cases of mange. I won't even go into the plight of feral
cats...
Paulette McGuirt, GSDCA Member
Allemande German Shepherd Dogs
Qui Me Amat, Amat et Canem Meam
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dawn Restuccia" <windwych@xxxxxxxxx>
To: "Iza Kabuska-Ackerman" <izakabuska@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: "gsd" <showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, April 26, 2008 12:13 PM
Subject: [ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: GSD numbers in shelters
YES we DO fly dogs in from Puerto Rico! Only in the northeast tho. There is
a shortage of adoptable pups here...
The Katrina Lifeline Program is bringing up 40 to 50 puppies EACH MONTH to
be adopted out in the northeast! They come from the NOLA region and are
brought to NY State. Massachusetts has an overwhelming amount of "no kill"
facilities...
people in this state APPEAR to be very population conscious and s/n is the
order of the day. Therefore, the dogs in the shelters here move quickly on
to new homes.
When I REPEATEDLY sent letters to the MSPCA (the group that flys the dogs
in) regarding the plight of the dogs in the south, I received no response. I
HAVE spoken to ACO's in Mass...the concern is the health issues that are
appearing in the southern dogs. Screw worm is resurfacing; something that I
guess has not been seen in a long time. Also, there is a particularly NASTY
strain of parvo in the southern shelters.
All of this could be avoided by asking the ACO's in contributing shelters to
QUARRANTINE the dogs in a separate building using universal precautions for
their care for at least 2 weeks before transport. That is what the Lifeline
program is doing...
Buddy Dog Humane Society, Dakin Pioneer Valley, Baypath Humane ,Sterling
Animal Shelter and several others ARE taking southern dogs on a shelter by
shelter basis. These facilities have access to the USDA approved ISO area;
ie...a stainless steel cage with separate access, private handwashing
facilities, etc...
Bringing a "rescue" dog into Mass is committing financial suicide. Also, if
you are TRANSPORTING a group of dogs who do NOT have interstate health
certificates, the entire transport can be confiscated and EUTHANIZED.
The numbers of animals euth'd in some of the south eastern shelters is
staggering. 220,000 in NC in one year...one NC actually retrofitted a dump
truck so they could gas the dogs on the way to the landfill. Another is
utilizing a DUMPSTER; which did NOT have airtight seals, causing the dogs to
take longer to die...they were cited and evidently fixed the seals...HEAVEN
FORBID they use IV euthanization methods! The excuse is that it upsets the
shelter worker to have to hold the animals while they are dying...guess it
doesnt matter how upset the ANIMALS get as they are crammed into a container
while the door is shut and they desperately try to escape...Sorry....but
when you read the AVMA guidelines, it reads like a Stephen King horror
novel! It is TRULY frightening!
Dawn
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