Ways To Fix The Stray Animal Problem In Austin - Essay Example

Shoaib Shakir Academia Research English Language 6 May 2009 How to solve the problems of stray animals in Austin, Texas Every community in the country is encountering the problem of stray animals, the gravity of which is increasing with the passage of time, however in Austin, Texas the problem of stray animals has always been one of the prominent enormities encountered by the city. Despite of the fact that many animals belonging to the stray category adapt themselves to thrive in house environment; others have been forced to seek refuge under homes or porches. These animals then become a constant source of trouble and damage. For example rodents, squirrels and rats love to chew electric wires which increase the hazard of fire accidents. Among all stray animals dogs occupy the foremost position which over 500 million. This phenomenally large number has emerged as serious predicament for animal welfare organizations as these stray dogs suffering from hunger and illness seek sanctuary in human communities where they are generally seen as a nuisance by people living alongside them. Moreover diseases caused by the bites of dogs such as rabies and distemper are extremely fatal and are not easily curable. (Austin pet Directory) Lack of knowledge and widespread unawareness about the problem has further worsened the problem. Communities in developing countries often take barbaric steps to solve this problem which includes measures like electrocuting dogs or simply shooting them. These appalling methods afflict great pain on the animal and simultaneously are not beneficial in long term as they fail to identify the root causes of the problem. (Wild Life Removal) The city of Austin has always been certified as a 'bird sanctuary' city which can be vindicated from the fact that the city administration has allocated thousands of acres of land to preserve the species and habitats of salamanders and warblers, but concurrently the city lacks greatly when it comes to providing help to animals once they are out of their protected environment and are found injured in the backyard of someone's residence. (ci. Austin) It is commendable to see that over a period of a year or two developments in this particular segment has been phenomenal. The administration of the city has been formulating effective strategies in collaboration with non-governmental organizations to address this issue at a suitable platform. Many organizations and associations which include prominent names like Protection for Animal and Welfare Services or PAWS, Shadow Cats Rescue, The Central Texas SPCA and ARF. All these organizations are playing a laudable role to counter the looming threat of stray animals in the city. Among all of these the role of PAWS has been instrumental in every sense. The prime objective of this non-governmental organization is to increase awareness among people by initiatives like educational campaigns and promotion of human standards to prevent cruelty to animals. In addition to this it also focuses on providing shelter to homeless animals and help in the reduction of domestic animal overpopulation. PAWS have also been working in joint ventures with Texas VOAD (Voluntary Organization Active in Disaster) and UAN (United Animal Nations) in natural disasters. (Bats Specialist) In conjunction to this another prominent name is that of Spay Austin Coalition a group of individuals in Austin working collectively to increase acquaintance about stray animals by means of education, resources and opportunities to weather the over-population problem of such animals in the city. Town Lake Animal Center is the largest animal rehabilitation center situated in Central Texas which provides shelter to over 23,000 stray animals found in the city of Austin and other areas adjoining it. The center which has been developed in conjunction with the ASPCA focuses on training people ways by which they can identify and report cases of animal cruelty. (Austin Pet Directory) Professional Wildlife Rehabilitator Hayley McCardle some time back rescued a possum who was later christened Roberta after she broke her leg in a car accident. She was rushed to Austin Wildlife Rescue where she was provided proper treatment which resulted in the healing of her wounds and now her babies are growing strong. McCardle has been working with newborns for quite a long time now and he also teaches people the dos and don'ts about upbringing a wild animal. (Wildlife Removal) The purpose of narrating this short incident from an exceptionally long working experience of McCardle is to make people realize the difference a normal person can make in alleviating the level of any enormity prevalent in their society. A famous saying goes that 'God helps those who help themselves'. To some extent NGOs have triumphed in integrating this culture of self-help among people. This can be vindicated from the fact that people are showing great interest in constructing shelters for animal safety. There are a number of properties you need to keep in mind when choosing a company for animal shelters. It is always convenient and economically advisable that you compare the different features being companies and by accessing the situation intelligently choose the one which satisfies the requirements of your pet. A number of animal and humane societies provide availability to a diverse range of amenities to people and their pets so it is important that you pay special attention to the level of courtesy being offered by the company so that it can cater to the needs of the animal you want to keep as pet. By increasing this trend of animal shelter the element of care for stray animals can acquire a phenomenal uplift. Along with this animal shelters also provide homeless animals another chance to live a safe and secure life under proper veterinary supervision as well as compliance training and grooming to catalyze their stages of adoption to the changes in their surroundings. (Wildlife Removal) Another exercise normally encouraged by wildlife specialists and is advisable for people to practice are the activity of spaying or neutering their pets or any animal they have in their home. The neutering is advantageous in various ways. First and foremost, it eliminates the risk of incidence of any fatal disease which can be very expensive to treat otherwise. Neutering helps animals like dogs and cats to live a long and healthy life. Spaying also reduces the danger of animal biting. It has been generally observed that neutering decreases the risk of testicular cancer and decreases the incidence of prostate disease. In addition to this animals who are spayed usually exhibit different behavioral patterns than the ones who are rarely neutered. (Squidoo) All such collective efforts have led to a phenomenal fall in the euthanasia rate at the Town Lake Animal Center by 29% as stated by the Austin Chronicle. But this does not imply that efforts come to an end, everyone understands that a lot more needs to be done if this problem is to be eradicated completely. This means that more neuter programs, strengthening of the formulated laws and greater implementation on the policies framed can play a pivotal role in the achievement of desired objectives. (Austin Chronicle) According to Rich Avanzino who is the pioneer of the no-kill movement the fall in the killings of animals in Austin has been dramatic. Speaking in terms of statistics it was disclosed that over 40 years ago 23 million dogs were killed. After a period of two decades this number curbed to 17 million and today it stands at 3.7 million. These figures provide a comprehensible manifestation that the collective contribution made at governmental and non-governmental fronts has conformed to their fundamental objectives. (Austin Chronicle) During the past 10 years the policy of no-kill goal implemented by the administration of Austin paved the way for the healthy figures it has today. The city has also preformed well in helping to get animals out of their respective shelters. (Austin Chronicle) According to the Executive Director of Austin Humane Society Francis Jonon the society is formulating policies by which it can speed up the transferring rate of animals. This can be verified from the fact that in 2008 1,100 cats were transferred to the Austin Humane Society from the Town Lake Animal Center which represents an increase of 48% when compared with the statistics of over three years. (Austin Chronicle) Harvesting an extensive network of rescue groups has also played a significant role in offering proper protection to stray animals in the city. In the previous years it was only Austin Pets Alive that was focused solely on providing protection to animals who were becoming the victim of the brutal and barbaric practice of euthanasia. The movement gained considerable success but with the intensity with which this enormity was emerging other sustainable measures to weather the condition was urgently required. It was at this precise moment when a well-combined collaboration system of government backed and non-government associations dived into the matter and created a well-coordinated network of association who work together to counter this problem as effectually as possible. (Austin Chronicle) Many of the wildlife specialists are contemplating policies of multiple adoption sites for better placement of the animals. In other words efforts are being taken to send animals back into their native habitats and community environment in which they were born, nourished and went through different growth stages. The prospect is still in its embryonic stages as the fulfillment of this objective requires greater investment and finance. Experts however are confident of the fact that once this plan achieves fulfillment they will be able to save 500 lives of wild animals over a period of 12 months. (Austin Chronicle) All these efforts have increased the probability of providing a better, more secure and healthy life to animals who were completely strayed at one point of time. Despite of all these existing generalities the extensive and community oriented lifestyle of the city do not provide adequate potential for further desired improvement in the entire situation especially when combined ventures are about to take off. (Austin Chronicle) Despite of all this some of the ventures that were conducted as a joint venture and gained substantial success includes Improved cat and kitten adoptions via specific summer programs and cheap fees. A network of more than 170 foster homes for juvenile, sick and wounded animals is what is urgently needed. In addition to this Austin Humane Society feral-cat coordinator, with more than 200 areas volunteer trappers (5,000 trap/neuter/returns per year). Another prime feature which must be brought into urgent consideration is the use of free microchip implants in high-intake neighborhoods (to improve recovery rate). Free or low-cost wellness services (Animal Trustees of Austin, Emancipet). (Austin Chronicle) Organizations such as Austin Humane Society's Behavior provide suitable sanctuary, estimation and Training Team. In conjunction to this Pit Bull Task Force, plummeting intake of pit-bull-type breeds while increasing public safety. Educational programs initiated by ASPCA for schoolchildren, increase awareness in children about the dos and don'ts of stray animal protection in collaboration with Austin Independent School District. (Austin Chronicle) Necessary references Patricia J. Ruland :How They're doing it 1. April 3, 2009 2. February 23, 2009 Tom Regner Town Lake Construction LLC, Cave Notes 3. November 8, 2007 4. - May 19, 2008 5. February 23, 2009 6. August 27 1995 7. Read More