7/28/2019 The Myth of 'Pet Overpopulation' in Australia

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The Myth Of 'PetOverpopulation'In AustraliaAuthored by M. McKenzie

The doctrine of 'pet overpopulation' cascades

across our nation headed by many shelter 

Directors and followed by kill apologists and

surprisingly, many animal advocates.

The Australian community purchase over 

600,000 dogs and cats every year. Australianshelters kill over 250,000 dogs and cats every

year. There is no pet overpopulation when

there are more people buying pets than there

are shelters killing them.

Out of the 250,000 guesstimated dogs and

cats killed by shelters, there would be a

 percentage of animals that do fall under the

definition of euthanasia.

The live release rate benchmark at No Killshelters, remains at ninety percent. It is only

when a shelter is saving dogs and cats in the

ninetieth percentile, that they are most likely

not killing healthy and treatable animals.

Even though the nations kill statistic is a

guesstimate (due to many shelters not

releasing their kill statistics) , it is fair to

argue that we need to minus ten percent off 

the national kill statistic to accommodate atrue euthanasia rate.

There is the misguided argument that

eradicating puppy factories would result in the

eradication of the nations shelter kill statistic.

Given that the majority of a shelters incoming is

cats, and predominantly cats originating from

feral, stray or community cats, arguing that the

closure of puppy factories will eradicate the kill

rate, is nonsensical. It actually highlights the

need to consider the first program of the No Kill

Equation, which is Feral, Stray and Community

Cat TNR (Trap Neuter Return), rather than

ignoring it.

The majority of Australians purchase their dog

and cat from a variety of sources, including pet

shops, online/print media, backyard breeders

and registered breeders. A minority of 

Australians are purchasing their pet from an

animal shelter.

If puppy factories were abolished, the majority

of Australians would continue to purchase their dogs and cats from sources other than the

animal shelter.

 No Kill shelters use the No Kill programs and

services to increase their market share and

divert the pet purchases from the above group,

toward the shelter.

The only way to eradicate Australia's kill

statistic is for shelters to stop killing healthy,and treatable dogs and cats.

 No Kill shelters do not kill healthy and treatable dogs and cats. No Kill shelters euthanase irredeemably sick, suffering and

traumatised dogs and cats, and in the case of dogs, ones that are vicious.

The Myth of 'Pet Overpopulation' : page 1

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The eradication of puppy factories is vital to

cease abhorrent practises against our canine

friends, but this ideal must not be used to

 justify the killing of healthy animals inshelters.

Debra Tranter, founder of Oscars Law says,

“The killing in pounds will stop when the people

that run the pounds change their attitudes towards

the killing of healthy pets. Buying a puppy from a

pet shop has nothing to do with killing rates.”

 

Debra Tranter with her dog, Oscar 

In 2009, Nathan Winograd surveyedAustralian shelter and pound Directors on

their attitudes towards the No Kill paradigm.

Their reasoning not to embrace the life

saving programs included:

.  there are too many animals, not enough homes

.  you can't adopt your way out of killing

Both of which conform to the idea that 'pet

overpopulation' exists.

If 'pet overpopulation' was real, you would

have to disregard the ninety plus communities

in the United States who have implemented the

 No Kill programs and services, and are saving

healthy and treatable dogs and cats.

All these communities are a combination of 

closed and open admission shelters, public or 

 private shelters, located in both urban and rural

areas, located in both affluent and low socio-

economic areas, positioned in different political

areas and their communities include puppy

factories and breed specific legislation.

If 'pet overpopulation' was real, you would have to

overlook the save rates at RSPCA, ACT:

. save 94% of dogs

. save 67% of cats

. save 90% of kittens

RSPCA ACT save rates are a result of 

compassionate and great leadership and the

implementation of 10 out of the 11 No Kill

 programs and services.

If 'pet overpopulation' did exist, the RSPCA ACTcould not reach its great save rates, when they are

receiving more than double the animals admitted

 per 100,000 people than their high kill

counterparts in South Australia and New South

Wales.

Whether you argue that 'pet overpopulation' exists

or not, it does not make the killing of healthy and

treatable dogs and cats acceptable. It also

highlights the contradicting principles that the

RSPCA have in regards to their own questionable

standards and the killing of healthy and treatable

dogs and cats in their shelters, while RSPCA

inspectors are investigating other persons

 properties for animal killing and animal cruelty.

The belief or justification of relying on the ideathat 'pet overpopulation' exists in Australia, is

retarding the progression in effective animal

sheltering, animal management and safe

communities.

 If you are holding on to the myth of 'pet overpopulation',

 you are defending the paradigm of killing and you are

betraying the animals you are paid to keep safe, or the

animals you advocate to save.

600,000 statistic:http://www.acac.org.au/pdf/ACAC%20Report%200810_sm.pdf  (pg 48)

250,000 statistic:

http://www.deathrowpets.net/background.html

 No Kill shelters do not kill healthy and treatable dogs and cats. No Kill shelters euthanase irredeemably sick, suffering and

traumatised dogs and cats, and in the case of dogs, ones that are vicious.

The Myth of 'Pet Overpopulation' : page 2