We all play a role in caring for county

We all play a role in caring for county's pets and strays
Kalamazoo Gazette, Letters to the Editor
Sunday, February 11, 2007

By Pamela Nash

You can tell a lot about people by the way they treat their animals. Proof that we are on the right track in Kalamazoo County is Kalamazoo Animal Services (KAS).

I have spent many hours volunteering at its facility on Lake Street. Steve Lawrence, the director, and his staff are a great group of people. They treat the animals that come through their doors with compassion, dignity and respect.

I have never seen them let an animal suffer needlessly or neglect any animal in their care. The KAS staff keeps adoptable animals as long as they possibly can. They volunteer their personal time on the weekends to take animals to pet adoption events.

Unfortunately, as increasing numbers of homeless animals come in from other counties, there are more animals for adoption in Kalamazoo County than there are homes for them to go to. As a result, for some adoptable KAS animals, space and time are not available and these animals have to be euthanized. Unfortunately, the county department that handles this responsibility on behalf of the citizens often gets the blame.

There are many things the citizens of Kalamazoo County can do to help reduce the rate of euthanasia in Kalamazoo County:

Spay or neuter your pets. They will be happier, healthier and more content to stay at home. They will also not be producing the litters of kittens and puppies that start pouring into KAS as spring approaches.
If you lose your pet, go to KAS and look for it, repeatedly and at least every week. Take along a photo to prove the animal is indeed yours. Also check the KAS Web site: http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/MI520.html regularly for your pet and report the loss to their front desk. They can offer advice on other steps you should take.
Make sure your animals wear collars with ID tags or have microchips placed in your pets. That way, if they become lost, they are much more likely to make it back to you.
When looking to adopt a new pet check out the animals at KAS. Stop in with an open mind, walk the dog runs or check out the cat room. There are many wonderful and deserving animals just waiting for the chance to catch your eye and make an impression on your heart.
Support local programs that offer spay and neuter assistance for low-income families. Kalamazoo Humane Society's Operation Fix-it and Animals Best Friend come to mind.
Volunteer with Save Our Strays and at KAS. We photograph adoptable animals and post those photos along with a brief description of each animal to the Save Our Strays petfinder site. We also assist with pet adoption events at local pet stores, taking KAS animals that are available for adoption. It's a very rewarding experience knowing that you may help save the life of an animal.
If you can't find the ``perfect pet'' at KAS, please check out the local rescues. They too have wonderful adoptable animals and are also in need of volunteers.
Support the area pet supply stores that sponsor pet adoption events for rescue animals. Barks Fifth Avenue, MVPets, Petco, Pet Supplies Plus, and SuperPetz have all hosted KAS/Save Our Strays petathons. We appreciate them inviting us and other rescue groups into their stores.
Please support the new shelter the Kalamazoo Humane Society wants to build for KAS to lease. The new shelter will allow more animals to be held longer in larger cages and in a healthier environment. This shelter will serve all of Kalamazoo County. It will be built not only by large contributions but also by pop can drives and penny collections. It will require all of the animal lovers in Kalamazoo County to work together toward a common goal -- a healthy and welcoming county shelter where more animals find a future and not an end.

The next time you see a KAS employee, please thank them for the great job they do caring for the stray and discarded animals that come through their doors. Their hard work reflects well on the citizens of Kalamazoo County.

Pamela Nash, of Vicksburg, volunteers at the Kalamazoo Animal Services facility on Lake Street. She is also volunteer coordinator for Save Our Strays.