Craig Zamboni’s Post

A shocking statistic out of the US. If anyone needed reminding that the companion animal adoption boom is over. Anyone breeding puppies right now should be taking note, and taking responsibility that they have adopters lined up. It is a tragedy how many animals are in the animal shelter system (and how much time and energy good people spend on these animals) because of a myriad of issues. Issues can include lack of thought at adoption, unethical (over)breeding, lack of desexing, lack of identification, or poor socialisation which means animals are relinquished to shelters. But let's try and give a positive spin! What a great opportunity to raise awareness about how to adopt, to advocate for better standards of breeding, to encourage desexing and microchipping and to endorse better training. Little by little, we aim to improve the culture of pet 'ownership' and raise the standard of animals lives so that they all live A Good Life. Let's hope for a positive 2024!!

I absolutely support your comments about this post. Those “keyboard warriors” have quite a lot to say and little to no action behind their words. For those of us who work in open admission shelters, most often there is no worse outcome than euthanasia and that sacred, end of life act is carried out with a heavy heart each time regardless of circumstances. Advocates of the “no-kill” movement cleverly advocate for saving every animal’s life through gaslighting techniques painted to advertise to the lifesaving rescues they have performed. Don’t get me wrong- there are rescues out there who identify as “no-kill” and perform amazing work helping animals. But a vast majority of those advocate leaders work for or support companies that are not obligated open admission shelters. Instead, they are allowed to cherry pick the animals that come into their care and bash other open admission shelter who are just trying to do their best with what they have. To back this up, the best funded open admission shelters receive approximately 1% of a city’s or county’s overall budget and a greater majority of city or county funded open admission shelters receive approximately 0.5% of general funds. Let’s imagine the reality of an open admission shelter: Animal Protection Officers seize 80 cats from a hoarding house. Regardless of the health of the cats, they are required to intake each an every one of them. Now imagine that 50% of them have an incurable disease or are simply too sick to recover and so half of them have to be euthanized while the other 40 cats recover and are adopted out. Based on that statistic alone, that shelter then has a 50% live release rate which would be admonished among the no-kill advocates. That’s insane. It would be a great relief to see the public foster or adopt more shelter animals and those “no-kill” advocates financially contribute to amen a change they desire to see in live release rates. To simplify what I said, they need to put their money where their mouth is instead of demanding change with no funds or resources to back that change we all desire. What is more distressing is that there are no statistics for those companies that turn away animals in desperate need of veterinary care or sheltering such as Best Friends Animal Society. Open admission shelters are required to intake any animal for any reason regardless of their health status or ownership with no surrender fee. Animal welfare workers and advocates have too many other battles to fight and shouldn’t be arguing and creating rifts amongst each other. We all have a common goal in mind: to save as many animals as possible. It isn’t just about how many lives we safe; it’s also how we get there that matters.

Myth: Shelter pets are not good with kids. Truth: Many shelter pets are great with kids! Shelters often have information on how pets interact with children and can help match you with a pet that fits your family dynamic. If you have a question, we'd be happy to answer! Reach us at indyhumane.org/contact/ #IndyHumane #AnimalWelfareMyths #SafeAndHumane

It is essential that the public understand what is going on across the nation. When live outcomes decrease, the "keyboard warriors" tend to start blaming their local shelter and its employees/volunteers. While it is important to hold people accountable, it is just as important to understand that most of them are doing the best they can with what they've got. Times are hard. When you find out your local animal shelter has started euthanizing again for space, take a breath before you write that angry post or letter. Chances are the people at the shelter are just as devastated and furious (or more) about the situation. After you have taken that breath, look and see how you can help. Can you foster? Can you adopt? Can you use your social media presence to promote animals for adoption? Can you clean cages or do laundry? Can you bring the staff lunch? Or can you use your voice to advocate for better funding or programs? The issues that lead to euthanasia in shelters come from deep within a community and cannot be solved inside the shelter alone. If your local shelter has started euthanizing and that upsets you, step away from the keyboard and do something about it (unless that something involves the keyboard!).

More ways to reduce the number of euthanized dogs: Professional dog training. Lorenzo's Dog Training Team is dedicated to keeping dogs out of shelters and in safe and happy homes. Before making the decision of taking or returning a dog to the shelter, please seek the help of a professional dog trainer.

On April 23, join us in observing National Lost Dog Awareness Day, an initiative started by the Lost Dogs of America in 2014 to shed light on and celebrate reunions of lost dogs with their families. This day is about decreasing the number of pets in shelters through reuniting efforts If you encounter a lost dog, safeguarding them, verifying any identification, and contacting relevant shelters or groups are crucial steps. Share your reunion stories or tips in the comments to inspire others. Let's create waves of positive impact together! 🐕💕 Check out @Dogster for more ways to celebrate and contribute. #PeoplesNPuppers, #dogwalkerlifestyle, #dogsittingfun, #doggooftheday, #pupster, #furbabiesarefamily, #woofpackbros, #barking, #dogwalkinglife, #doglover, #dogstagram, #doggosdoingthings, #NationalLostDogAwarenessDay

Thinking about adopting a dog from a shelter? Our step-by-step guide will walk you through the entire process, from researching and preparing to bringing your new furry friend home. #AdoptDontShop #ShelterDogLove

Many well-intentioned people see an unfamiliar cat outdoors and automatically assume the animal is homeless—and needs to come to your shelter pronto! But that’s not always in the cat’s (or your shelter’s) best interests. Help guide people through the steps they should take when they come across an unfamiliar cat: Download the fact sheet at https://bit.ly/3taVS8a. 🐱 ⁣ #LostCat #CommunityCats #FactSheet

Very helpful fact sheet!