Dear Dr. Fox:
I am a full-time professional and part-time dog trainer. My passion is working with shelter animals; I have done so for more than five years.
I recently left a Maryland chapter of the SPCA in Anne Arundel County, after it changed its status to no-kill because of the incentive of a predicted increase in private donations. I am gravely concerned about the momentum of this no-kill movement, and the resultant suffering and compromise of volunteer, staff and public safety.
To be considered a no-kill shelter, a facility has to agree to euthanize less than 10 percent of animals under its care. It becomes a game of numbers. To preserve those statistics, shelters alter their intake policies and keep dogs alive that would fail a temperament test because of significant behavioral problems. Despite not having the necessary space, resources or trained staff members to provide these shelter dogs a decent quality of life, the shelter continues to house the animals in cramped, concrete and chain-link kennels for months on end.
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I struggle with the idea that behaviorally sound dogs are being euthanized at high-kill shelters because of limited time and space, but no-kill shelters keep dogs that they know pose a potential risk to the community for months and sometimes years. Committed trainers, volunteers and staff members are leaving the shelter system out of frustration and compassion fatigue.
Administration gives itself a pat on the back after adopting out a marginal dog that has been there for months without any consideration to the adopters or public safety. Well-intended families of these long-term residents face certain feelings of failure and heartbreak when they realize they do not have the time or skill to manage or train a dog with significant behavioral problems.
During my time at the shelter, dogs were regularly returned for bite incidents (one dog actually killed another dog), and then they were placed for adoption again a few weeks later. My fear is that, long-term, people will turn their backs on the shelter system, and the dogs that have the potential to be great family pets will be euthanized.
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Only a handful of shelters are able to adhere to these strict no-kill guidelines and still maintain a decent quality of life for the dogs in their care. These shelters have huge amounts of space, designated play areas, well-developed positive reinforcement behavior departments, established community outreach programs and a network of dedicated fosters for dogs that can’t cope with the stress of shelter life.
Many of the rest of the shelters that have jumped on the no-kill bandwagon have fallen short. As a result, the animals in their care suffer greatly. I think the ugly truth about no-kill shelters should be exposed in an attempt to inform the public.
My question is: Why do we have to slap on a label — no-kill or high-kill? Why can’t shelters across the county independently assess dogs based on the dog’s behavior history, temperament test and a healthy dose of intuition?
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R.A., Anne Arundel County
DF: I fully support your experience and detailed concerns, which echo my experiences in seeing the no-kill movement spread across the United States beginning in the 1970s.
This is something that every community and local investigative reporter should look into. I am all for saving a life, but that feel-good action must consider the quality of life that animal is likely to have. Committing a dog or cat to life in a cage is unethical and inhumane, yet many local shelters that fly the feel-good no-kill flag do just that.
Animal shelters also release rescued cats back into their communities after neutering and vaccination, rather than euthanizing these cats. In many instances, irresponsible owners let cats that have not been neutered outdoors, where they breed and often do not come back home.
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The animal shelter and humane society no-kill ideal is an exemplary goal that is achievable in some communities where there is responsible pet ownership, high adoption recruitment and foster homes. In most places, however, it has become an abomination and a total abdication of responsibility to the animals, the community and to donors.
SEASONAL ALLERGIES
Dear Dr. Fox:
Is there such a thing as winter allergies in dogs?
I rescued an 8-year-old golden retriever, now 11 or 12 years old. All I know about her history is that she was an outdoor dog who was abused. Each winter that I have had her, she has developed an itch over her lower back. It started several years ago with hot spots, but last year she did not have that; instead, she developed large bumps and hives. From about April to November, she is fine.
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Each year I change her to grain- and chicken-free high-quality foods. Several years ago, I switched from generic Benadryl to Zyrtec on her vet’s advice, and I added coconut oil and fish oil to her diet. Prednisone has not really helped. Last year, when I tried a different vet, the antibiotic cephalexin was helpful. I wonder whether my dog is allergic to forced-air heat.
J.B., Silver Spring
DF: My wife and I sneeze every morning when we turn up the forced-air heat in winter here in Minnesota, too. Even though we have an air filter, it is most likely the dander from our cats that sets us off on our morning ritual.
My guess is that your dog might be allergic to you. I know of at least one case of a dog being allergic to human dander (dead skin cells). Many dogs are also allergic to dust mites that feed off dead skin cells.
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I would get the best air filtering system that you can, and try a good-quality air purification system in the room where you spend most of your time with your dog.
Some dogs also develop a seasonal alopecia, the hair loss being prevented in some cases by having a full-spectrum light over where the dog sleeps most — the same light used for seasonal affective disorder in humans.
FELINE ASTHMA
Dear Dr. Fox:
I’m responding to a query from one of your readers who asked for help with feline asthma. One of my cats, Tummy, had bouts of pretty bad asthma three to four times a year.
After he was diagnosed, he had several cortisone shots before I tried some alternative therapies. I had already done the things you mentioned to your reader about food sensitivities and other possible triggers. I started Tummy on acupuncture treatments with a practitioner who made house calls. (I found her at marylandpetacupuncture.com), and this seemed to help.
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P.L., Silver Spring
DF: I appreciate your confirmation of the benefits of alternative and complementary veterinary medical treatments for your cat. I advise pet owners to be open to unconventional treatment protocols and seek out those veterinarians who offer what is generically termed a "holistic" approach to animal health and treatment, as I detail in my book "Healing Animals & the Vision of One Health."
The best medicine is prevention, and a holistic, integrative approach to companion animal health. We are in the 21st century. It is time for a revision of vaccination protocols, to quit feeding highly processed commercial pet foods and over-medicating pets, especially with so-called preventive medications such as those sold to keep fleas and ticks at bay, when there are effective, and much less costly, alternatives that pose far less risk to animals’ health.
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For further information, contact a holistic veterinarian in your area. A searchable list can be found at holisticvetlist.com.
Michael W. Fox, author of a newsletter and books on animal care, welfare and rights, is a veterinarian with doctoral degrees in medicine and animal behavior. Send letters to animaldocfox@gmail.com or write to him at United Feature Syndicate, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, Mo. 64106.
Copyright 2016 United Feature Syndicate
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