A fur-fetched suggestion: here is how to save a life

by LEN LEAR

One of my first memories as a small child is that of a neighbor telling me that his parents were going to have their beautiful 14-year-old pet Collie "put to sleep." Two days later the friend informed me that his parents had taken the dog to a veterinarian, who gave the friendly but immobile tail-wagger an injection that quickly killed him.

For some time after that, I must admit my six-year-old psyche became somewhat traumatized whenever my mother would say at nighttime, "Go up to your room, Lenny, and get ready for bed. I'll be up soon to put you to sleep." (I could not help thinking, "Oh, my God. Is she going to stick a big needle in me? I swear I'll never, never, never sneak into the cookie jar again. In fact, no more chocolate for me, ever!")

In other words, somebody needs to retire that ridiculous euphemistic expression, "Put the dog to sleep," since we all know the dog (or cat or bunny or turtle or hamster) is not going to wake up in the morning — or any morning. We should say truthfully, "We're going to have the dog humanely killed (or euthanized)."

But whatever expression we use, it's still a tragedy of epic proportions that many millions of potential pets are put to death in shelters every year, not because they are sick or old but because there are not enough caring people to adopt them. In Philadelphia alone, it is estimated that about 30,000 to 40,000 animals are brought to shelters yearly. Many are abused or abandoned or not cute anymore or "too much trouble to take care of," and many people allow their pets to have litters because "it is a beautiful thing to watch." Many of those "beautiful" litters are then dropped off at animal shelters, where about 85 to 90 percent (in Philadelphia) are put to death, based on many documents that have become public down through the years. (The people who leave them off no doubt believe they are actually going to be adopted.)

One can only imagine what it is like for shelter workers and volunteers to play with and befriend the animals, only to know that these frisky, healthy companions will soon be killed. There are "no-kill" shelters like Francisvale in Radnor and Morris in center city, but they are usually so full that getting a new animal in there is like getting your kid into Harvard Medical School.

Those people who want purebred dogs and cats often disdain shelter animals (even though shelters often do have purebred animals), choosing to purchase their pets from breeders, some of whom (certainly not all) force their own animals to become little more than exhausted, enervated breeding machines. Far, far worse are pet stores, many of which get the majority of their animals (despite their frequent denials to customers) from "puppy mills," where conditions are crowded and unnatural at best; barbaric and cruel at worst. Many of the adorable offspring from these horrific breeding factories have hidden health problems from inbreeding and crowded, unsanitary conditions.

The best (and cheapest) alternative is to adopt a pet from a professionally run shelter with a proven track record for putting the welfare of the animals first. (There are also many excellent volunteer-run rescue societies for specific breeds.) Such a facility is the Montgomery County SPCA, which has branches in Abington, Perkiomenville and Conshohocken. The latter is at 19 E. Ridge Pike, just a few minutes from Bells Mill Road and Germantown Avenue in Chestnut Hill.

"We have been promoting adoption very aggressively, and it is paying off," insisted Carmen Ronio, director of all three branches who has been with the Montgomery County SPCA for 32 years. (Ronio was formerly a parole officer who then worked with the Norristown Police Department's canine unit.) "This year we have achieved 91 percent placement for our dogs. In May 314 dogs were adopted from all three shelters combined. The nine percent that have been euthanized were usually sick or had serious temperament problems."

A bigger problem has been with cats because so many are brought in, partly because many municipalities which did not do so in the past are now trapping feral (stray) cats and bringing them to shelters. "All three shelters placed a total of 600 cats in May, 164 in Conshohocken, which amounted to a 67 percent placement rate. (All of the animals are neutered at no charge.)

"In 2002 we had 75 percent of our cats adopted, so our percentage has actually gone down because there are so many more cats being brought in now. We have to get our numbers down on intake, and we have to curb feral cats. On the other hand, many more people are adopting cats now because they are so much more independent and less time-consuming to take care of than dogs."

Because the summer season is the busiest time across the country for animal shelters, the Montgomery County SPCA is partnering with the American SPCA to declare June "Adopt a Shelter Cat" month. The many cats and kittens currently available are purebred and mixed, longhair and shorthair, athletic and cuddly. They all have one thing in common: they are sweet, fun companions who are desperately in need of permanent, loving homes.

For more information, call 610-825-0111 or visit www.montgomerycountyspca.org