The Missing

[orange&white]

It would be unenforceable. Prove that the person who dumps a pet was the owner (they'll deny it), and mandatory chipping would allow government to hire more bureaucrats to do what?; go door-to-door on house searches demanding to see peoples' "pet papers"? City councils are happy to spend their time writing ordinances and imposing fees and fines which cost all local taxpayers money to pay people to write ordinances and set up new government "enforcement" offices, but never make an huge impact on the initial problem.

 

[kittens mom]

It would be unenforceable. Prove that the person who dumps a pet was the owner (they'll deny it), and mandatory chipping would allow government to hire more bureaucrats to do what?; go door-to-door on house searches demanding to see peoples' "pet papers"? City councils are happy to spend their time writing ordinances and imposing fees and fines which cost all local taxpayers money to pay people to write ordinances and set up new government "enforcement" offices, but never make an huge impact on the initial problem.

Of course the current non enforcement works just wonderfully doesn't it ? That's why we have a GROWING population of feral cats and rescues and shelters bursting at the seams. Albuquerque has one of the best AC ordinances I've seen. Ask someone who runs afoul of it. My husbands coworker had to go bail her SO our when they failed to pay a fine because his dog wasn't on a leash. Because my cats got their rabies in Alb I got a notice to renew their city license the second one was pretty clear the fine would go up If I can find the card I'll put up a picture of it. it was no nonsense. People who practice reasonable pet ownership aren't going to be impacted. Oh yeah my ex SIL had to pay to get her dog spayed before she could get it back too. She didn't get a discount like someone adopting a pet. That's what she gets for breeding and selling without a permit and paying the litter fees.
HEART Ordinance Information — City of Albuquerque
As you can see the fees only impact negligent people or breeders. Dog and cat sales should be 100% forbidden in any pet store. I don't know of any that do now all of them have associations with shelters and rescues.
Licenses and Fees — City of Albuquerque

 

[surya]

If I had a lot of money to spend, I always thought I would start up a bunch of free or low cost spay and neuter vet clinics in low income areas and have a bunch of mobile units too. And maybe start some kind of public education program to educate people and get them involved.

 

[kittens mom]

If I had a lot of money to spend, I always thought I would start up a bunch of free or low cost spay and neuter vet clinics in low income areas and have a bunch of mobile units too. And maybe start some kind of public education program to educate people and get them involved.

It's going to have to be an effort to TNR feral colonies and keep them from growing and S/N and as I've said I'm fine with making someone with an intact animal pay out the backside. The idea is to make compliance easy and trouble-free while those caught breaking the law would pay via the wallet. Lots of people drive without a license we don't abandon law enforcement because the cops would have to stop every car and check.
Anyone who has felt the heartache of a favorite stray going missing knows that you can't love the problem away. Sadly you probably can't educate it away. I've had a 25 year war with relatives who think S/N is wrong and deprives them or puppies and kittens for their grandkids and kids to play with.

 

[surya]

I think affordable vet care is part of the picture. I don't really have an opinion on enforcement you are talking about. I need to learn more about that. I do hate the way I'm supposed to be getting rabies vaccinations for my cats every year even though they are inside and there is no way for them to contract rabies. That is dumb. And nobody at my apartments would report their unfixed cats, so how would the government know about them?

 

[kittens mom]

I think affordable vet care is part of the picture. I don't really have an opinion on enforcement you are talking about. I need to learn more about that. I do hate the way I'm supposed to be getting rabies vaccinations for my cats every year even though they are inside and there is no way for them to contract rabies. That is dumb. And nobody at my apartments would report their unfixed cats, so how would the government know about them?

Titers are coming some states allow them some are working through the legislation. It's important to see that enforcement works when AC have laws they can use that have real teeth when they get the abuser in their bulls eye. We used to have none now low cost free S/N and shot clinics are everywhere. Micro chips can be mandated at the time an animal is adopted or picked up as a stray or at the vets or shot clinic. Normal pet owners are doing that anyway. Someone who isn't getting their pet S/N is part of the problem anyway and their pets are at high risk to roam, be more aggressive and contribute the excess pet population. Having laws that put financial hardship on the people causing the problems either correct their behavior or they get rid of their pets which they probably would have anyway. It's not about having the gestapo make a midnight raid demanding your pets papers. In all problems involving living things animal or human there is the compassionate side and the part where we have to make bad behavior that contributes painful.
And I'm sorry because this was about the strays that vanish and you never know or sometimes worse you find them.
I once held the head of a horse frozen to the ground nothing but skin and bone while a lawyer had to go get a judge to give them permission to end her misery. Her decaying foal was laying a few feet away. Like most abusers this man ended up walking away with a few hundred dollars in fines. No conviction, Just a settlement. I see every stray, starving miserable stray and those with babies doubly so just as victimized by humans. Again thank you for caring. It meant the world to Smokey.

 

[orange&white]

Not interested in the government mandating and enforcing how everyone "should" live their lives, and treat each other and pets. As if we're too stupid to live without someone else's overbearing hand telling us what we can and can't do.

I agree with your sentiment, but not your solution. Bigger government just grows bigger government and doesn't solve problems. Individuals (like you) solve problems without asking some higher power to intervene.

I just spent the evening trapping the 4-5 week old starving kitten and setting up a safe shelter to feed the kit back to a healthy weight. Screw the people in the apartments behind me who are running the "Feed and Breed the Ferals Program" where no one but a few of us (maybe just me) are actually taking care of trying to get the situation under control. I don't need no stinkin' government interfering with my actions or with the actions of The Irresponsible Few who create feral cats by feeding them and not doing TNR.

Government is the least efficient last resort of people who don't take responsibility to make this a better world, despite the people who will never "get it" no matter how many bureaucrats you want taxpayers to add to payroll to write reports about how bad things are and how they need more staff. More government never solved anything.

I'm not going to go attend tomorrow's city council meeting to plead for a special interest in mandatory micro chipping of pets. I'll spend tomorrow taking care of one "extra" cat...at a time...and educating people in my neighborhood. That's the way problems get solved. When did we stop talking to each other and start demanding that the government fix every little problem that they are ill-equipped to fix? No wonder the cost of living is so high.

 

[kittens mom]

Not interested in the government mandating and enforcing how everyone "should" live their lives, and treat each other and pets. As if we're too stupid to live without someone else's overbearing hand telling us what we can and can't do.

I agree with your sentiment, but not your solution. Bigger government just grows bigger government and doesn't solve problems. Individuals (like you) solve problems without asking some higher power to intervene.

I just spent the evening trapping the 4-5 week old starving kitten and setting up a safe shelter to feed the kit back to a healthy weight. Screw the people in the apartments behind me who are running the "Feed and Breed the Ferals Program" where no one but a few of us (maybe just me) are actually taking care of trying to get the situation under control. I don't need no stinkin' government interfering with my actions or with the actions of The Irresponsible Few who create feral cats by feeding them and not doing TNR.

Government is the least efficient last resort of people who don't take responsibility to make this a better world, despite the people who will never "get it" no matter how many bureaucrats you want taxpayers to add to payroll to write reports about how bad things are and how they need more staff. More government never solved anything.

I'm not going to go attend tomorrow's city council meeting to plead for a special interest in mandatory micro chipping of pets. I'll spend tomorrow taking care of one "extra" cat...at a time...and educating people in my neighborhood. That's the way problems get solved. When did we stop talking to each other and start demanding that the government fix every little problem that they are ill-equipped to fix? No wonder the cost of living is so high.

It is possible to do both. The ones here need to be taken care of with compassion but the war has to be fought to end overbreeding and abuse.

 

[orange&white]

We agree on that. We disagree on who should be the soldiers going into battle. I respect your opinion, but I differ in mine.

 

[Willowy]

Other countries have successfully mandated microchipping and/or altering, without it costing too much or it becoming too intrusive. So it's entirely possible for it to work. But with the typical American contrariness, I suspect a lot of people would rather abuse or kill their pets rather than obey a law :/. So that's probably not going to happen. It's unfortunate that more can't be done to prevent abuse, but obviously, if even cat people can't agree on it, getting any authority figure to do anything about it would be near impossible.

I do wish there were more low-cost spay/neuter places, but those are heavily opposed by local vets (who are usually influential in local government) so it can be a real fight for one to be allowed in the area.

 

[surya]

This is Polly. She is having her leg amputated on Monday. I hope someone will want to adopt a three legged kitty.

 

[kittens mom]

This is Polly. She is having her leg amputated on Monday. I hope someone will want to adopt a three legged kitty.

View attachment 180947

I don't think it's a big issue for most people. Hugs to Polly that her forever home happens quickly.

 

[surya]

I don't think it's a big issue for most people. Hugs to Polly that her forever home happens quickly.

I hope so, the vet says she needs to be an inside cat.

 

[IndyJones]

I'd take her. I love special needs animals. Unfortunately my budget barely allows for the two I have. She has really big ears is she an Oriental?

 

[orange&white]

Polly is lovely. She looks wise and thoughtful in that photo. Hopefully she'll find a good home.

 

[surya]

I'd take her. I love special needs animals. Unfortunately my budget barely allows for the two I have. She has really big ears is she an Oriental?

I don't know if she is Oriental. I would take her too, if I didn't already have more than I can afford.

 

[tabbytom]

This is Polly. She is having her leg amputated on Monday. I hope someone will want to adopt a three legged kitty.

She's a sweet looking gal

 

[surya]

I have started going to the complex across the street to catch kitties. I found a young mom and two kittens under a car. The little boy who lives there told me someone was tossing the kittens in the air and playing catch with them!

 

[IndyJones]

WTH that's just disturbing. I hope there isn't domestic violence there.

 

[surya]

WTH that's just disturbing. I hope there isn't domestic violence there.

I don't know. A lot of the people here abuse animals. I think it is a cultural thing. But it made me feel sick. Hopefully I can rescue them tomorrow when I can borrow a trap, if she hasn't moved them.