“And you can go down the list. If animals are killed because working with rescue groups is discouraged, that’s not pet overpopulation. If dogs are going cage-crazy because volunteers and staff aren’t allowed to socialize them, or the shelter doesn’t have a behavior rehabilitation program in place and those dogs are killed because they’re quote-unquote ‘cage crazy, once again that’s not pet overpopulation; that’s the lack of programs and services that can save lives. “And you can say that about feral cats being killed because a shelter doesn’t have a trap-neuter-return program.You can say that about shy or scared dogs because the shelter is doing this bogus temperament testing that’s killing shy dogs and claiming they are unadoptable. It goes on and on and on.” Finally, Winograd challenges members of the animal loving community to demand more of their shelters than the status quo. “Insist on an end to the use of killing as a form of animal population control. Stop allowing tax dollars and donations to support shelters and animal control agencies that refuse to implement programs that have already been proven in communities across America to work to put an end to the killing.” To find out more about what is going on in your Florida community, call or visit your local shelter and animal control agency. Ask to see the Animal Statistics, which will show the intake of animals, transfers and adoptions. Join an animal advocacy program or watchdog group to become part of the solution. A group of concerned citizens in Hillsborough County created Friends of Hillsborough County Animal Services to do just that. Part of their mission is to reduce euthanasia by helping to promote the adoption of shelter animals. First Coast No More Homeless Pets in Jacksonville was established in 2001 to help decrease the number of animals killed in First Coast area shelters. They have facilitated more than 95,000 pet sterilizations in the last 12 years. In 2010, FCNMHP opened the Jacksonville Pet Food Bank to provide pet food to lowincome families in an effort to keep families and their pets together. Support local, independent businesses who are supporting adoption efforts.
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