Report shed light on animal treatment issues

Report shed light on animal treatment issues
Kalamazoo Gazette, Letters to the Editor
Thursday, March 15, 2007

By Patti Biland

I want to thank the Kalamazoo Gazette for running the Feb. 11 article about the animal shelter and the price animals pay for being basically unwanted.

As a member of the Animal Rescue Fund (ARF), I see a lot of what the public got a chance to in the article. It's heartbreaking, frustrating and just plain sad. The coverage was wonderful and gutsy. Most people don't want to hear it, see it or deal with it. That includes their pets, most of the time, too.

To see it on the front page was a tremendous victory for all the shelters and workers who deal with this. It's time, however, to start moving to change the laws, policies and practices of our county and city law enforcement people. I don't know how many times I've called upon Animal Control to check out an obvious bad situation and then I was told nothing could be done because ``the basic needs were met.''

Animals left outside in an inadequate shelter, with no signs of edible food/water visible yet nothing is done. Not to mention all the ``backyard breeders'' who continue to breed their animals for a profit. The police were recently sent to one of these because of a complaint that the mother looked anorexic. She had eight puppies feeding from her and she didn't even get up. The police simply told the guy to feed her more and take her to the vet. The puppies were sold for $300 each!

If the laws were changed to make people accountable, the shelters would not be in the shape they are now. With the Gazette's article, perhaps people will be more aware of what's going on in their own neighborhoods and start looking out for these animals. I have three dogs and four cats, two fish and a 10-year-old daughter. She is also a part of the animal rescue world.

ARF is also into raising awareness in elementary schools in St. Joseph County for children to learn about treatment and care of animals, what constitutes animal abuse and safety. Perhaps starting young, we can change the way they will treat animals later in life and change their views about the people who think ``it's just a dog'' or ``it's just a cat.''

I commend the Gazette for putting this on the front page and making it a very important part of the news, because it rarely is. Not only am I a loyal reader, I also deliver the Gazette and was very proud to deliver the Feb. 11 paper in the very cold, dark wee hours of the morning!

Thank you from a proud pet owner, hopefully a good person, and a person who has a conscience.

Patti Biland, of Three Rivers, is a member of ARF which can be found online at www.arfund.org.