Finding your furry friend faster
As of January 25th, the number of days the East Baton Rouge Parish animal shelter must hold stray animals for owner reclamation decreased substantially. Previously dogs were held for six days and cats for four days. An amendment to the Animal Control ordinance now mandates the shelter to house any unidentified animal for three days and any animal wearing identification (tags, microchip, tattoo) for five days. Feral cats with notched ears (which signify they are spayed/neutered) are released to rescue.
“It’s monumental because it means we can release the animals for adoption, for rescue earlier,” explains Debra Pearson, interim director of Companion Animal Alliance.
As the non-profit agency that manages the shelter, CAA is bound to wait until holding period is over to take ownership of each stray animal and decide that pet’s fate. The shorter holding period decreases the time an animal remains in limbo.
For example, if an officer brings a stray dog hit by a car with non-life-threatening injuries, CAA cannot treat, adopt, euthanize or release the animal to a rescue immediately because the dog does not legally belong to the organization. CAA can provide only pain relief. “Previously, that dog might lie there for six days. That’s overwhelming cruel,” says Pearson. “So, the amendment allows us to be more humane in a lot of cases.”
The change is also likely to hasten the euthanasia of vicious, fatally ill and unadoptable animals. However, Pearson says, “We hope it will not increase our euthanasia rate [because] that was not the intent [of the amendment]. The intent was to get [animals] out quicker for adoption.”
The original ordinance was crafted with an emphasis on preserving the rights of pet owners by presenting ample opportunity to find and reclaim a lost pet.
Unfortunately, only 20% of Americans reclaim their dogs; those who do typically rescue their pets within two days of entry into a shelter. Locally, the reality is 12% to 14% dogs go back home. Nationally and locally, only 1% of local cat owners reclaim their pets.
When their pets disappear, few Baton Rougeans think to search the city shelter because of its remote location from their homes.
How could a lost pet near Wax Road or O’Neal Lane get to a shelter across from the airport in just a few hours? In a big white truck with an Animal Control insignia, of course.
If a pet is spotted running loose, caught by a Good Samaritan who cannot find any identification, hit by a car or found injured, chances are someone will call Animal Control to pick up the “stray.” Fourteen officers circle the city all day long. No matter where owners live, their lost pet could land at the city shelter within a few hours.
So, explains Pearson, “Anyone with a missing pet should contact Companion Animal Alliance [non-profit managing the city shelter] immediately. However, a phone call doesn’t do a lot of good [in determining whether a particular pet is in the kennel], owners need to come down in person to identify their pet.”
The shelter population is constantly changing and sports a high volume of certain breeds and coat colors. Unless a pet has a microchip, very distinctive breed or very distinctive markings, a CAA staffer will be unable to match a verbal description to a particular animal.
Even if they don’t see their pet on the first visit, Pearson recommends owners return every other day both to free their pet as fast as possible to limit the pet’s stress and exposure to mites, skin and other contagious illnesses, which spread despite vaccination on intake.
Besides being vigilant about keeping pets confined on their property, Pearson says all owners should have the following in place in case of an escape.
• Registered Microchip: Shelter staff scan each animal who enters the facility in hopes of finding a microchip. The size of a grain of rice grain, these little computer chips are injected by vet under the your pet’s skin. The code contained in the chip identifies the pet’s owner. Unlike a collar, these devices cannot fall off and get lost. For them to work effectively, the owner must register with the microchip company. Far too many owners forget to register the chip, which compromises the shelter’s ability to get the pet home.
• Collar & Updated ID Tags: This old, reliable form of identification provides Good Samaritans or shelter staff an immediate way to contact the owner. Many pets sport both a collar and microchip.
• Good Quality Photos: A full body photo and facial close-up are often the keys to tracking down a lost animal. Besides making flyers to distribute in the neighborhood and at CAA, owners who post pictures on Craigslist or other networking sites have a better chance of finding their best friends.
Click here to see some of the CAA’s adoptable animals on parade.
Click here for this week’s City Lynx.
