A small group of concerned citizens started a petition asking Nashville mayor Karl Dean to help Metro Animal Care & Control reduce their euthanasia rate and increase their adoption rate. These petitioners never dreamed that the mayor would respond to their petition with such enthusiasm.
The Problem
In 2012, Metro AC picked up 3,378 animals in the field. Another 5,999 were surrendered to Metro by their owners. According to the City Paper, "Of 9377 total intakes, only 440 were animals considered to be difficult to place upon arrival. (367 were the direct result of a bite, and 73 came from situations characterized by cruelty.)" Of those intake animals, 1,211 were adopted, which is only 12%. 553 pets were returned to their owners, 95 pets were transferred to the Nashville Humane Association, and 96 were returned to the wild. The remaining 7,179 pets, 76% of the total, were euthanized.
The unfortunate reality for a high volume publicly funded shelter like Metro AC is that when there is no more cage space, animals must be euthanized. However some pets like pit bulls and Rottweilers never even get that chance. Davidson County is a huge and diverse county. With the size of the area covered by Metro AC and the state of the economy, the number of intakes is not likely to dwindle.
The Answer
Mayor Karl Dean responds “I guess I should give a pitch for animal adoption,” Dean said. “We adopted one, and it worked out pretty good.” Clearly the mayor understands the importance of adoption. Unlike many politicians who purchase a purebred dog from a breeder, Karl Dean chose to adopt a rescue dog from Metro AC.
“A key part of the issue is responsible people as pet owners,” Dean said. “You have the public safety issue, which is your responsibility, which is to make sure people aren’t being bitten or bothered by animals. You then have almost the humanitarian sense that we don’t want to be a city with the highest euthanizing level of any major city.”
Solutions
One solution currently under consideration is increasing the pet licensing fee from $4 to $6. For Davidson County pet owners that translates to paying an extra $2 per rabies shot. That might seem like small change, but overall it is predicted to generate an additional $150,000 in revenue. That money would be used to pay for three additional animal control officers. This would bring staffing levels back to the the pre-recession level of 31 officers, the same total as in 2007.
Numerous local animal rescue groups have volunteered to partner with Metro Animal Control to help bring more adoptable dogs and cats into foster care. Nashville hosts many breed-specific rescues such as the All-American Dachshund Rescue, Middle Tennessee Golden Retriever Rescue, as well as three Great Dane Rescues and three Greyhound rescues. Instead of euthanizing dogs because they are too large to fit in the AC kennels, they should be sent to local rescue groups, freeing more cage space for other dogs.
When asked what changes would make the biggest difference in the euthanization rate, agency director, Dr. Bill Paul said greater use of spay/neuter programs and better publicity for adoptions. Middle Tennessee already boasts multiple low-cost spay/neuter programs thanks to animal advocate, Sara Felmlee. The county simply needs to spread the word about Fix for Life in Lebanon, Sumner Spay Neuter Alliance in Gallatin, the mobile Spay Station and Nashville Humane's mobile Rover program.
The use of volunteers could greatly improve the adoption rate. Volunteers can take more and better pictures of the existing adoptable pets to post on Petfinder. They could also arrange for off-site adoption events at local PetSmart or Petco stores. Metro AC is considering allowing more volunteers to help with their adoption program.
Nashville is fortunate to have a rescue-conscious mayor who is so committed to helping abandoned cats and dogs. Thanks to Karl Dean, it looks like there will be some significant changes in the operation and outcomes of Metro Animal Care & Control.
Be the Difference
If you are looking for a new furry family member, check out these adorable adoptable cats and dogs currently at Metro Animal Control. The adoption fee is just $60 for cats and kittens. This fee covers AIDS/leukemia testing, spay/neuter, deworming and the first set of shots. The adoption fee for dogs is just $90, which includes spay/neuter, heartworm testing, deworming and the first set of shots.
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