Grim Shelter Stats Reported For 2012...Need For Rescues More Critical Than Ever

When I sat down to write, I honestly didn't know where to begin.  Just re-reading the report and reviewing the data brought tears to my eyes.  The information is disheartening and the numbers are staggering, but unfortunately the facts definitely speak for themselves and need to be shared.

I'm writing about a report that was published in February regarding the 2012 statistics for the county animal shelter in Orange. Last year's "death rate" at Orange County Animal Care (OCAC) was 54%, about the same as it was for 2011. Here are some of the numbers for 2012:

• more than 2600 dogs were euthanized
• almost 9,000 cats were euthanized (70% of which were feral or kittens under 6 weeks of age)
• an additional 1,477 rabbits, birds, snakes, and small livestock were euthanized 

That is more than 1,000 animals euthanized every month. And, those numbers don't include owner-requested euthanasia.

I've been to OCAC four times since I began working with The Pet Rescue Center last fall. I've had the privilege of helping to save more than 50 dogs and cats (including 2 mommas and their kittens). The first time I went to the shelter I cried because I thought of how scared my dog, Monty, must have been in a place like that. (He was saved by The Pet Rescue Center, and we adopted him in March 2011). During my second trip, I teared up as I watched a half-dozen people surrender their 'family pet' to the county shelter and drive away, leaving their dogs behind to face an uncertain future.   In early April, I shed some tears before we even left for OCAC...just thinking about all the dogs and cats that most likely would never leave the shelter alive.

On two recent trips to OCAC, The Pet Rescue Center saved 7 dogs, and 15 cats (6 of them very young kittens). Two of the dogs were "e-listed", which means they were set for euthanasia: a 7-year-old Rat Terrier (now named Silas) and an 8-month-old lab mix puppy (pictured above, and now named Bradley). Both dogs were brought in as strays with no identification. 

Two of the kittens were orphans, also brought in as strays, and likely would not have survived the night at the shelter. 

So, that week we saved two dogs and 2 kittens that faced euthanasia. Two, out of the more than 200 dogs that are killed each month. Two, out of the more than 700 cats that are killed each month. And that's just in Orange County. According to the ASPCA, over 330,000 dogs and cats are euthanized every month in the United States.

In the first few months of 2013, The Pet Rescue Center has saved 24 dogs and 26 cats and kittens from the county shelter. Our mission is to provide a no-kill, veterinary supervised temporary sanctuary for these pets while we work to locate an adoptive family.  We're proud of what we do, but there is so much more to be done.

What can be done to help? We need to license and microchip our pets...including cats. Of the almost 30,000 animals impounded at OCAC last year, only 1,868 had some form of identification, most of which were dogs. Animals coming into the shelter with ID (license, tag, microchip) face a much lower euthanasia rate (13% vs. 55%) than those without. We also need to spay and neuter our pets. According to the ASPCA, only 10% of the animals coming into our shelters have been spayed or neutered.

And finally, we need to support local animal rescue groups. These organizations, like The Pet Rescue Center, are non-profit and depend largely on donations from individuals. They need financial support to keep saving dogs and cats from unnecessary euthanasia. Donate to help with the cost of saving animals from the county shelter. All funds directly support The Pet Rescue Center's Rescue.Rehab.Rehome program. 

You can also volunteer, collect needed supplies, and help promote adoption.   Together, we can make a difference and help change the fate of so many homeless dogs and cats in Orange County.  

Silas, Bradley, and the orphan kittens now known as Kit and McFly, along with the other dogs and cats rescued from the county shelter, will soon be available for adoption at The Pet Rescue Center.

If you would like additional information about The Pet Rescue Center and how you can help, please email info@thepetrescuecenter.org.