As our longtime readers will hopefully remember, I have
written several articles on the benefits of early spay/neuter, and, for
lack of a better solution, I have been an advocate of early
sterilization as a humane means of controlling the overpopulation of
unwanted companion animals.
In my travels as an advocate, I come into contact with
people who have differing solutions and ideas, opinions and projects
that deal with the so-called, "pet-overpopulation" problem. (I see this
as a misnomer since the ones we are killing are no longer, or perhaps
never were, anyone's pet.)
My research has turned up several surprising
contradictions in that I cannot find a precise number of animals killed
annually in the United States. The numbers, I have found from visiting
the websites of various humane societies and animal-rights
organizations, is that this number varies from 5 million, to 7.5
million, to 12 million and sometimes even higher than that! There is no
doubt that this is a serious problem that should be addressed
aggressively. I realize that the animal-rights community has, for the
most part, left this particular issue to the animal-welfare community.
If this is indeed the case, it seems equitable since the animal-welfare
activists have this as practically their sole issue since the other main
issue, animal cruelty and neglect, DOES get the attention of
animal-rights activists. So the humane societies and animal-control
agencies muddle along, trying to make a difference in the numbers of
animals they kill each year, trying to find homes where there are none
to be had, working to get the word out about early sterilization, and
passing laws and ordinances across the land that amount to leash laws
and laws against rescue groups placing intact animals. And when the
leaders of rescue groups come together to talk about this common goal,
and this horrific problem, on this they can all agree: THE SLAUGHTER OF
HEALTHY ANIMALS MUST STOP.
And veterinarians and scientists and friends of
animal-welfare agencies all nod their heads in sympathy and agreement.
But there is something very wrong.
In one of my articles I stated that in Europe, dogs and
cats are not routinely spayed and neutered, or, as some would have us
say, castrated. Yet, inexplicably, there is a nonexistent pet
overpopulation problem, and the Europeans are not killing millions of
unwanted animals every year as we are. True, Americans are much more
prone to commodification of animals and are given to waste and buying
disposable items, but that is not the entire problem. In this article, I
attributed this lack of mass killing to the concept that the animals are
all kept on leads with their guardians, which is true. Or that animals
are allowed to go into stores and restaurants with their guardians, also
true. But, it would appear that these are NOT the reasons their animals
are not reproducing at a rate that produces more dogs and cats than
there are homes for.
There is another reason. And when you hear it, you will
exclaim, as I did, "You've got to be kidding!"
A mentor of mine who is now the director of our animal
control agency here in Palm Beach County is also a veterinarian, and a
very smart lady. She told me that, in Europe, the animals are not
surgically rendered unable to reproduce because it is unnecessary: they
have Delvosterone, an injectable birth control solution. Yes, That's
right. This veterinarian also shared with me that she has approached the
Doris Day Animal League about taking up the campaign to bring
Delvostrone to the US, much like other organizations did with RU486, and
creating a media blitz, again, like RU486, to get the word out. Perhaps
a few letters from our readers would help Doris Day make up their mind
about getting involved---www.ddal.org.)
"You've got to be kidding!" I said, "Why don't we have
it?"
The answer, of course, is MONEY. Not that it costs so
very much, but because the veterinary community, and all the suppliers
of spay/neuter surgery paraphernalia, don't want us to know about it.
They make a lot of money putting those animals through all that surgery,
and if it was just a matter of a shot, well.... you know. We can't have
that!
I have been asking around to other people who would
know, and they have confirmed this information. In fact, Delvosterone in
some form or another has been used to control the deer population in
some states.
Can you even dare to imagine a nation with no homeless
animals? Think of all the people who would be put out of a job, and then
think of all the healthy animals who will not have to die.
It's out there. I'm not kidding.
Go on to
ARO Columnist Arrested & An Arresting
Protest
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