My inside/outside cat was turned in by someone three doors down from me, after he called me and I told him to just put her outside and she would come home. He never said she was a bother or that he didn't like the idea, he just went and took her to the shelter. I have two other outside cats (outside only because they urinated inside, but they had access to warm mudroom, plenty of food, health care and love.) Anyway, I had just spent a thousand this month on vet care for two animals, one fixing a hematoma on one outside cat's ear ($600) and the rest on spaying my dog. The cat that got turned in is a long hair, and her hair is very matted as she won't sit still for a brush... I had planned to get her shaved next payday... I had to cough up $80 because the man had turned her in... when I explained what had happened, and asked for perhaps some leniency regarding the pickup fee due to me being practically an animal rescue operation in my own little area of the city (people have dropped off 3 litters of kittens in my immediate vicinity and I found them all wonderful homes, being afraid to take them to the shelter due to the threat of euthanasia) I was descended upon by the animal control officer, who treated me like an animal abuser because my cat's hair was matted. He very curtly told me there were no waivers on the fees, which, if he had said so politely and with perhaps a smidgeon of compassion for my situation, I would have accepted gracefully -- as a 30 year vet and retiree of the Army, I understand rules and regs -- but no, he was cold and rude. He told me they would come inspect my cat after I got it shaved -- acting again as if was abusing her... I told them their policies of having to pay a fine to get your animal returned, even under such odd circumstances as mine, was an underhanded way to push their agenda of getting rid of outside pets. Do they want me to euthanize my pets just because they urinate when inside? (And I tried all kind of expensive meds to try to get them to stop before I finally put them outside -- many people would have put them down.) I told them they were in league with PETA, which we all SHOULD know regularly kills animals rather than let them be pets. I also told the Animal Control Officer he was rude, obnoxious and totally lacking in customer service skills, of course without profanity and without raising my voice. I will never support this shelter again, and I have adopted three cats from them in the past, and contributed financially. It seems all beaurocracies (sp?) are about their own agendas, which have nothing to do with the taxpayers needs or wishes... these people were horrible to me. I know we can't let our dogs roam anymore like they used to when I was a kid (probably a bad idea even then, since dogs CAN be dangerous) but except for killing birds, what harm is a cat doing? And how do you keep them inside a fence? you don't... this is just another example of PC run amok. Laura Kenney, retired Army Major.
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