Agenda - 09-19-2006-7b - Laserfiche WebLink

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Qrange County Animal Services Sheltering Practices and Philosophies '73 need different kinds of homes, but good homes nonetheless, Even those who aren't very likely to be adopted often must be held for legal reasons by government agencies or shelters with government contracts; in Baltimore, for instance, Anderson was recently holding a pet fish during eviction proceedings, But in the race to demonstrate glowing statistics for cats and dogs, some shelters don't factor small animals into the euthanasia equation, says Lisa Smith, adoption specialist at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington, Whether it's a mouse or an Akita who comes through the door at any given moment, the Virginia shelter will find a place for him, says Smith. But whereas dog kennels in the shelter often sit empty, four months could go by without a single adoption application for a rabbit, she says. "If I had one hundred critter cages, it wouldn't increase my critter adoption rate..., There just isn't the market for those kinds of animals," says Smith. Sayres of the SF/SPCA notes that his community has yet to give equal treatment to small mammals; the "Partnerships for Life" report released by San Francisco's shelters doesn't include euthanasia statistics for these critters, "We haven't reached 'no kill' in small mammals," he says, "and that's an issue far intake for open-door facilities. There are gerbils and rabbits and guinea pigs and all those kinds of animals, We haven't done a whole lot in terms of supporting, housing, and sheltering those animals," Making ADifference--One Spaghetti Dinner at a Time Of course, in many of the country's rural communities, cats aren't part of the equation either-at least not officially, Even cat holding areas are a luxury in places like Taylor County, West Virginia, But that doesn't mean cats aren't on the radar screen of local animal welfare advocates: As part of her efforts to collaborate with neighboring counties, Theresa Bruner of the Taylor County Humane Society is putting together a plan to seek funding for spaying and neutering of feral cats in the region-a formidable task in itself, since Taylor County has only one part-time veterinarian. But making a difference often starts with one committed individual like Bruner whose passion is contagious. And even small things can change the life of that dog shivering in an unheated facility or that sociable kitty longing for human contact, In focusing on the goal as a way to define the problem, Bruner has been able to take a dire situation in her community and turn it on its head, Taylor County doesn't have a lot of things going for it: it's home to a large senior population, no industry (the school district is the largest employer), and a negligible tax base. But in just nine short months, Bruner's all-volunteer organization turned an old-style pound into a true animal shelter, In other communities, the group's victories might seem small, but in West Virginia, they are milestones-achievements no less extraordinary than the glowing statistics in Marin or Rochester or San Francisco, Because of the