According to the Los Angeles Animal Services the city is populated at any time by approximately 26,000 – 48,000 stray dogs and 3 million feral cats.
In 2006 alone 46,000 animals found their way into the Los Angeles shelters, where they are kept for 52 days plus 7 additional days in the hope that they will be adopted. In 2006 this hope did not come true for 28 percent of the dogs and 57 percent of the cats. They were euthanized.
Enter the private and non-profit organizations, who run no-kill shelters for strays and also rescue animals from the city shelters to find new homes for them. These places, like the city shelters, are constantly battling with overcrowding and under funding. Most of them could not survive at all, where it not for volunteers giving their time (and money) to keep the safe havens for dogs and cats alive and operating.
The two tiny critters in the photo are foundlings, delivered to the Sante D’or Foundation on Sunset. There they will be available for adoption, together with their feline friends, rabbits and sometimes dogs, also looking for new homes.
Stray animals just break my heart. And the people who don’t take care of their pets and let them breed, then dump the results – grrrrr.
Last year they wanted to pass a bill here in CA, the “California Healthy Pets Act.” Under this law breeders would have been required to obtain a business license and a breeder permit and to pay taxes. The only reason breeders were opposed to this law was because then they were and currently they are getting a free ride. They were and are able to breed as many animals as they want without any consequences. Backyard breeders, puppy mills, churning out litters like clockwork under terrible circumstances for the mother animals.
All other animal would have to be neutered/spayed.
Well, you must have heard the howling of the so-called breeders as far away as Texas. Even non-breeders, people who just kept cats and dogs as pets, were opposed. It would cost them too much to have their animals fixed, was one complaint. Right, with vets doing regularly low-cost operation drives to help to keep the problem in check.
The bill was revoked. The problem continues and grows. Literally.
Bastards. I can’t imagine not having one’s animals neutered, unless you are breeding them – responsibly. We haven’t had Tib neutered, although we are about to. He’s so pedigreed we thought we might let him father some pups, particularly if he was an outstanding hunter. But, he’s too large for breed standard, and not that great a hunter (not bad, just not well-trained enough). So, he’s getting clipped. But, he’s also never been allowed to roam. Our dogs stay in the back yard or on a leash, or hunting. Our two females are both spayed. The cats are neutered, too. Much better for them.