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County Shelter Takes In, Euthanizes Fewer Pets

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 2, 2007

The last thing the dedicated workers at Pasco County Animal Services want is to be forced by irresponsible pet ownership to take animals away or euthanize them at the county animal shelter.

This is why the division and its supervisors and administrators have made such a concerted effort to enforce rules, educate residents about the necessity of responsible pet care and encourage neutering, among other beneficial measures, to reduce the number of animals impounded.

County employees and officials have every reason to be ecstatic these days, because their efforts are paying off in a big way: In the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, they report, the county impounded the fewest number of dogs since the 1980s.

Fewer than 5,000 dogs - 4,978 - were sheltered for the first time in 17 years. That's a far cry from the 6,518 dogs sheltered in 1998, a record year.

Making the reduction even more impressive is the county's rapid population growth. In the past 25 years, while the county's population has grown from less than 200,000 to more than 450,000, the number of dogs euthanized has declined from about 10,000 to fewer than 5,000.
Responsible pet ownership is more than giving a four-legged friend food, water and shelter. It also includes obeying county ordinances, neutering when necessary and properly securing your pet.

No one is naive enough to suggest there soon won't be a need to euthanize any animals or impound them. The county is too large and has too many people who don't always practice responsible pet ownership. But if more people practice what Animal Services is preaching, the numbers will continue to decline, and the animal shelter will be a much happier place.

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