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Hernando Today

Surrendering Pets: There Is A Right And A Wrong Way

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By JOANNE SCHOCH For Pet's Sake

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 17, 2008

As we see more and more of the pets in our community losing their homes due to economic circumstances, the public needs to understand the safest and most compassionate procedures for surrendering and helping our homeless pets.

Whether it is your personal pet or a pet that you have found, think of their safety when transporting, surrendering or confining these animals.

While the person who left the box shown in the photo at the Humane Society meant well and wanted to help save them, the five adult cats could have died on the Humane Society ramp in the sun.

Often it can be hours on some days before someone uses that ramped entrance.

Had our veterinary technician not been coming up to the office, these cats may have been found too late.

Just as a cracked window of a parked car is not enough proper air circulation for a pet left in a car, neither are holes punched in a box. The pet will succumb to the heat in these circumstances. It is not safe.

Yes, it is heartbreaking to surrender an animal. No, you do not want to hear that the shelters are full. But that does not change the reality for these poor animals. As human beings we often tend to take the easy paths, we prefer to avoid pain, discomfort and the unpleasant. Do not make our animal friends bear the pain, discomfort and unpleasantness for us, they deserve better.

If you have an animal that you must surrender, whether it is yours or you have found it, bring them into the shelters. While there may be no room some days, volunteers and staff of these facilities will give you possible alternatives for the pet. Hernando County Animal Services never turns an animal away. Might the animal be euthanized there? Yes. But while euthanasia is not desired by anyone, it is a much more humane alternative to an animal baking to death in the sun or being run over by a car or attacked by another animal. We see the result of these circumstances much too often.

There is an answer to this problem: Get involved. Volunteer, donate, become a temporary foster home. Take action to change the laws of our county and state. The pets of our community need your help. They are counting on all of us.

This week I served as a time keeper for the Chamber of Commerce Candidates Forum. I heard some very interesting ideas from candidates, I also heard a lot of criticism of our current elected officials. No matter what our opinions are, our government is much akin to animal welfare organizations.... we are only as good as the community who supports and need us. We are representatives of the people and of our pets. We need the people of our community to do their part as well. No one group - Humane Society, Animal Services, Pet Luv or our County Commissioners are going to solve all of our problems for us. We sometimes have to face the painful, the unpleasant and the uncomfortable work to make a difference in our lives and in the lives of our pets. We ask you to make the tough choices and create a better world for our pets.

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