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Failure to apply
political pressure on politicians to adequately address
community animal programs.
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A lack of
understanding of the contradictory missions of both animal
control, (to protect the public from animals) and humane
organizations (protect the animals from public).
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Underfunding of
animal control programs and capital improvements for animal
facilities by local governments.
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Failure to recognize
that 70% of the cat
overpopulation problem
is caused by unowned,
intact, feral, freeroaming cats and developing an effective
humane population control program.
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Failure to recognize
the importance of trap/vaccinate/neuter/release as a humane way
to lower impound rates and instead recommend the "round em up
and kill'em" method (that has proven to be ineffective).
-
Distrust in
government animal control by nonprofits
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Politically
appointed directors instead of professional career pathing from
within the profession
-
Failure to recognize
the number one reason why pets are euthanized in shelters, LACK
OF IDENTIFICATION and develop a corrective program
-
Total reliance on
dog (and sometimes cat) licensing and ID tags as a means of
returning lost pets home. This system is a complete FAILURE.
-
Failure to implement
microchip programs and understand it's benefits
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Failure to develop
low-cost or free transfer agreements between animal control and
nonprofit/rescue organizations
-
Failure of shelters
to use breed rescue.
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The assumption that
antibreeding legislation will solve everything.
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The assumption that
spay/neuter will solve everything.
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The liberal
interpretation of the word euthanasia to include "lack of space"
and "time ran out." True euthanasia means taking a life for
reasons of health or temperament and is a true act of mercy.
Shelters are not to blame, but by not calling it what it is, we
fail to galvanize enough force in the community to stop it.
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Lack of
understanding and funding for pet retention programs
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Failure to set
goals, monitor and measure performance to those goals and adjust
programs accordingly.
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Failure by
nonprofits to develop animal social services targeted at low
income owners
-
Nonprofits that
assume government contracts and:
fail to allocate a large portion of their revenue towards
proactive programs,
do so to alleviate fund raising responsibilities and pressures
The assumption by nonprofits that sheltering and adopting
animals is enough
-
Failure of
nonprofits to professionally market their animals for adoption
and spend money to do so.
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Failure of No-kill
shelters to advance beyond sheltering and aggressively fundraise
then channel those funds into proactive programs
-
Government animal
control forming nonprofit 501 C3 organizations to raise money
(competing with nonprofits) instead of having the money come
from the community tax base.
-
Tendency by boards
to accumulate reserves greater than 2 times their annual budget
and use these excess funds for investment that supplants annual
fundraising activity. (excess reserves should be used for animal
programs.)
-
Failure to use
professional fundraising principles and develop charitable
trusts.
-
Failure of shelters
to recognize most people don't visit shelters because they
become "emotionally overwhelmed" and to extend adoption services
into the community
-
Shelters closed
after 5 pm on weekdays and on Saturdays and Sundays, the days
when most people have the time to look for a pet.
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Failure of the
veterinarian community to recognize the importance of training
during the critical first year of ownership and intervene to
solve behavior problems and help people bond.
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Failure of purebred
organizations to certify and sanction breeding practices and
strongly censure, discipline and ban poor performers.
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Failure to recognize
the benefits of mobile spay/neuter units that are able to go to
problem areas with vital services.
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Failure of
governments to initiate a subsidized voucher spay/neuter program
and realize a dollar spent today will save seven next year.
