Here's a group worthy of some attention:

http://www.knoxvilleferalcatfriends.org/

It used to be you could adopt an animal for a very reasonable fee from animal shelters. Now it is extremely expensive---$100 or more. I know the costs to run the shelters is very high, plus, you get free spaying and shots. I know they don't make much profit, but with newer facilities and more administrative costs the fees are no longer something a person with limited or fixed income can easily afford.

People I know who used to get all their animals at local shelters are now looking for ads in the paper because they're either cheaper or comparable, and you don't have to go through such an intense adoption process. This is not a knock against the shelters. God knows they are essential.

I recently got a puppy. I wanted to adopt a pet that might be euthanised, but couldn't afford to pay $125 for a nice animal. I found a beautiful purebred golden retriever puppy (without papers) for only $50.00. The shelters also didn't have many puppies. Most of their adoptees were adult dogs which can sometimes present behavioral problems from former misuse.

It sickens me to know so many dogs are being killed. I think they are mostly dogs over 6 months. Maybe it would help to reduce the price after a few weeks on dogs that seemed to not be getting much response from potential forever families?

I know people think if you pay more you will somehow be a better dog owner, but that simply isn't true.

Vet bills have also gotten higher, and sadly many people just don't want to be bothered by a dog or even a cat anymore.

I've always had animals and hate living without them.

Organizations that help with spaying fees are wonderful. That's the real solution to the problem.

That article broke my heart.

Mark, I read your excellent column in the paper yesterday, thanks for posting about it here.

One thing I was curious about was this:

They need to address the problem of groups that bring animals into Knox County in the name of animal rescue and adopt them out from local pet supply stores without spaying or neutering them before releasing them to adopters.

I was not aware of this issue. Can you elaborate? Are you saying there are groups posing as rescue organizations that aren't? Or are these legit rescue organizations that get overwhelmed?

(Doesn't sound like the latter to me, because I would have thought the first thing they do is spay or neuter.)

Some of the groups which aren't doing spay-neuter say they can't afford to do it. Of course, if they can't, they should not be rescuing animals or they should only rescue as many animals as they can afford to alter.

Some of the groups collect a spay/neuter "deposit" to "ensure" that spay-neuter is done. No study, however, has ever confirmed more than 60% of new owners leaving such a deposit actually following through. That is why we long ago passed state legislation to require that shelters actually spay- neuter, as opposed to using deposits.

We now need to require that animals adopted from the stores also be neutered before release. Preferably they should also be microchipped so the animals can be returned if they end up at the Young-Williams shelter.

I agree that the shelter fees are too high, particularly for cats. Free cats and kittens are easy to come by. And while I pretty much think that if you can't afford a $125 adoption fee, you probably shouldn't get a cat or dog -- how can you afford monthly heartworm meds, or treatment when your cat gets earmites, if you can't scrape together $125 for an adoption fee? -- that doesn't make the fees a great idea.
Last year I was looking for a cat and was considering a shelter cat. I can afford the $125. But when someone heard I was looking for a cat and offered me a free cat, there's no way I'm going to fork over $125 to the Young-Williams shelter so I can tell myself what a great humanitarian I am for saving a shelter cat.
If you look on petfinder.com you'll see that many other government-run shelters charge much lower fees.
I think it ought to be illegal to own an unaltered dog or cat over the age of 6 months without purchasing a very expensive breeder's license.

Several thoughts:

Do you think the increasing population of Knox is causing the increasing numbers of pets and irresponsible owners?

The present shelter system is there because of problems with the old system and an out of control population.

Vet prices have risen the same scale of inflation.

Fees offset taxpayer costs where the animal was adopted and the owner was trusted to find a vet to spay or neuter. It probably didn't work too well.

Knox County Population
2006 411,967
2000 382,032
1990 335,749
1980 319,694
1970 276,293
1960 250,523
1950 223,007
1940 178,468
1930 155,902
1920 112,926
1910 94,187
1900 74,302
Source: Knoxmpc.org

And while I pretty much think that if you can't afford a $125 adoption fee, you probably shouldn't get a cat or dog --

I'm with you so far. And??

...how can you afford monthly heartworm meds, or treatment when your cat gets earmites, if you can't scrape together $125 for an adoption fee? -- that doesn't make the fees a great idea.

You already answered your own question above. Welcome to the world of responsibility.

I can afford the $125. But when someone heard I was looking for a cat and offered me a free cat, there's no way I'm going to fork over $125 to the Young-Williams shelter so I can tell myself what a great humanitarian I am for saving a shelter cat.

I guess that shows what kind of humanitarian you aren't. Your comment sounds as if you're conflicted. Different voices trying to be heard or something?

Do you think the increasing population of Knox is causing the increasing numbers of pets and irresponsible owners?

I think the problem goes hand in hand with so many East Tenn. and generally southern problems. Rampant ignorance. AKA "fierce independence."

I work with a dog rescue group. It pays for spay/neutering and all the other essential medical care (vaccinations, etc.) immediately upon receipt of each dog. They are a national group that has a much harder time in the south because, as we were told, "they spay and neuter up north." (That would be in the more blue states.)

I've adopted from shelters and I've taken in strays. Believe you me, $125 is a bargain. I have a mult-cat household. If I take in a stray, I have to have it tested for FeLV, shots to get the cat up-to-date, and have it fixed. To have all that done is more than $125.

Increasingly domestic pets are becoming more like livestock, shipped overseas for food (a delicacy). Some areas have allowed the shooting of "stray" cats by property owners to reduce their numbers and to protect the song bird population. Desperate measures are required in these dire times. Animal Control should be ramped up in order to serve the needs of our suffering pet population. People who tie up dogs in their yards should be tied up themselves.

River Dog
Professor of Dogology, Emeritus
University of Tennessee
"Cleanliness is next to Doglyness"

It must cost something to euthanize a dog and transport it to the dump? I still think there should be a discount for dogs doomed to die in a day or two. I can't really see any reason against it.

Good idea, maybe someone from the shelter is reading this and would take a look at doing this. Would there be un-intended consequences pros or cons?

River Dog
Professor of Dogology, Emeritus
University of Tennessee

Young-Williams does have a new adoption fee schedule.

(link...)

Animals Adoption Fee

Puppies & Kittens 5 months and younger $150

Dogs & Cats 6 months to 7 years old $120

Senior Dogs & Cats (8 years and older) $75

Dogs & Cats on the adoption floor longer than 3 weeks $75

Adopters returns to adopt additional Dog, Cat, Kitten, or Puppy within 30 days of adopting the first Dog, Cat, Kitten, Puppy $30 off adoption fee for second pet
$40 off adoption fee for third pet

Best Buddies: two pets that must be adopted together Regular adoption fee for first animal $25 adoption fee for second pet

Factchecker, am I conflicted about how I got my cat? I don't think so. She was a cat that was headed to a shelter if someone didn't step up to take her in. She was a stray that a co-worker found and tried to integrate into her household, but after six months, her other two cats were still refusing (rather violently) to accept her, and so my co-worker felt forced to either find a home for her or place her in a shelter. So, I feel like I kept the cat from entering the shelter in the first place, and got a wonderful cat in the bargain.
I do think that the fees at Young-Williams deter people who can get pets elsewhere. Deterring people who would adopt from Young-Williams indirectly encourages irresponsible people who let their dogs and cats get pregnant, because they end up feeling like it isn't such a big deal to let their animals breed if they can find them homes. Even worse (in my opinion), it indirectly encourages and subsidizes irresponsible backyard breeders, who are a huge part of our animal overpopulation problem.
One more small response to Mark's opinion piece - I don't necessarily agree that no pit bulls should be adopted out. If people know that taking a pit bull to a shelter is an automatic death sentence, they'll turn their unwanted dogs loose, drown puppies in a lake, etc. But I think that there should be very few pit bulls available at a given time, mostly for the sake of the shelter's image. Any pit bull put up for adoption should be altered and should have been extensively tested for any issues of aggression towards people, other dogs, and other pets and have displayed no aggressive tendencies whatsoever. That's my decidedly non-expert opinion . . .

I think that one of the biggest causes of pet overpopulation is the cost of having a pet fixed. The Y-W center is trying to help with that by starting a program that will take the service to low-income areas and do it for free.

(link...)

It will cost $3 million and is being paid for with grants and donations.

I don't think it has been started yet. I read somewhere that the holdup is waiting for the State of Tennessee to approve the mobile surgical unit.

My last two sentences were meant to be a joke relating to your name here, maybe an unintentionally cruel joke if your real name is Sibyl, and not a fake name meant to be humorous, as mine is. If that's the case, I apologize; no insult was intended.

People in poverty cannot afford many things, and that's another problem. As it relates here, that can be addressed in part by reduced rate programs such as the one mentioned by CL. But in general I agree with your original statement. A financial commitment is needed to take care of a pet, just like an even much greater one is needed to take care of another human. $125 can be just the first drop in the bucket. Maybe it's a good bar to meet in order for a new owner to show the commitment to invest in a pet's life and not just fulfill one's own desire. Otherwise, how many $50 vet visits will the person endure before getting rid of the pet or compromising its care? Take it from me, pets can be very expensive. That's just life.

But also it's a good point that breaks should be given to those less fortunate. That's true throughout society.

My family and I are going through this process right now. Our 11 year old dog died two weeks ago (he was a 5 year cancer survivor and died of IMHA). We adopted him when he was just a few weeks old from a shelter in Cincinnati. They did an adopt-a-pet segment on one of the TV stations in town and we went down and picked him up.

While we were initially concerned with how our 15 year old dog would react, we've decided to go ahead and get a second dog again. We have the room and there are just too many good dogs looking for homes.

The adoption process seems a lot more complicated than it was when we adopted our other dogs. I just filled out at 42 question application for a puppy from a local shelter and even had to include employment information. I doubt that if this process was in place 15 years ago if we'd have been allowed to adopt our older dog. We were still unmarried and living in a 1 bedroom apartment. She's lived in 5 homes with us.

My experience in working with dog rescue groups and shelters is that most do not require a fenced yard. If you don't have a fenced yard, though, they want to make sure that you have thought about how the dog will get exercise and that you aren't planning to either chain the dog or let her run loose.
My take on the extensive applications that many groups have is that they are trying to accomplish some sort of educational function. For example, many people don't have their dogs on heartworm preventative and don't believe it is important to do so, so the rescue/shelter folks put a statement on the adoption application and you have to agree to have the dog on heartworm meds. Personally, I think this sort of thing is better handled in a face-to-face interview. It could come across as more caring and personal in that context.
That said, I went through the many pages of the adoption application to get my own dog from a local rescue group, plus two interviews and a home visit (and paid $150 adoption fee), and I'm glad I did. I'm firmly convinced that my dog is the best dog in the world and I'm lucky that Grreat Dogs entrusted her to me.

That said, I went through the many pages of the adoption application to get my own dog from a local rescue group, plus two interviews and a home visit (and paid $150 adoption fee), and I'm glad I did. I'm firmly convinced that my dog is the best dog in the world and I'm lucky that Grreat Dogs entrusted her to me.

That's a great story. Good to hear it was worth the highest fee Young-Williams charges plus all the other hassles many of us know firsthand.

Me too, and I'm utterly grateful I didn't have to go through such an intense process. I think it's wonderful that there is still a way for everyone who loves pets to have them. Mine truly are my best friends, a real part of my family. I feel so sorry for those poor creatures who will never know the kind of love we both seem to feel for our animals.

I think it ought to be illegal to own an unaltered dog or cat over the age of 6 months without purchasing a very expensive breeder's license.

There should also be an exception if the animal should not have surgery. I have a kitten that I found crossing the street in the middle of the night when she was 5 weeks old. I tried to have her spayed before her first heat but the pre-op blood work showed that she was having liver problems. Vet put her on meds and we waited to do more tests. Later tests showed that her blood wouldn't clot. Eventually, she did recover and as soon as I could get her scheduled, she was fixed. Some don't recover and an owner is left with the expensive pre-op treatments like plasma transfusions. If you don't have the money, what do you do? I spent $500 on this problem and that didn't include the actual surgery.

I think New Jersey enacted such a law last year. Several animal groups were against it because they were afraid that people would dump animals rather than have them fixed.

When I see people giving away puppies and kittens outside of stores or through newspapers ads, it makes me sick.

And don't get me started on the people who leave their dogs tethered outside for hours at a time ...

It must be painful to be burdened by so much self righteousness.
____________________________________
Less is the new More - Karrie Jacobs

I wasn't saying that this place would require us to be married, but it certainly was a thorough application.

We were approved by the way. We pick him up tomorrow.

I hope you have many happy years with your new puppy. He is a very lucky dog to have an such a determined and devoted owner.

Urban sprawl and our increasing population are helping make this a problem. We have expanding suburban development without infrastructure in place. Animal control funding usually comes after the problem is out of control.

River Dog
Professor of Dogology, Emeritus
University of Tennessee

Unless you can explain better why sprawl causes more stray pets I'm going to assume you are trolling.

The most stray pets I ever encountered were in the 4th & Gill neighborhood. Well except 2 of them didn't stay stray for very long.

All this discussion about where and how to adopt, some of us get adopted instead.

As far as the stray kitten is concerned if you have food you are a good parent. The love and affection is an added bonus.

___________________________________
Less is the new More - Karrie Jacobs

Bill is speaking from tons of direct experience with these things.

As Sibyl said, the adoption process is an educational tool. They are a jumping off point to initiate discussion and thought on the part of the adopter.

The question the process tries to answer through screening is not "are you worthy?" but "are you committed to this animal for its lifetime?".

As Bill says, people often come in and adopt a cute, highly adoptable puppy. Sometimes, a year or so later, they bring a big old dog back in. It's not as cute, and they don't want it anymore. Now the animal is really hard to adopt out.

Also, if your animal somehow ends up stray, even years after adoption, through microchipping, the animal will be brought back to the organization which originally adopted it out. That is primarily why adoption applications ask about employment, so the organization has another point of contact to try and locate you if your pet gets lost and is brought back in.

Former co-workers will go to great lengths to try to find someone who knows how the former employee can be found. Even personnel departments will get into the act when asked - often making calls themselves if they are not comfortable giving out information about former or retired employees.

It's not about how much money you make, or where you live. It's about how you will treat the animal.

It bears repeating that the adoption fee is really a bargain.

For $125.00, you not only get a companion, but you get a companion that is spay/neutered, microchipped so that you can be located if your companion is lost, has its shots, has been checked for a number of diseases, and is wormed. If you get a free pet and then buy all these services, will likely cost you about $350 to $400.

Pitbulls are the fighting cocks of the canine world. Too often, the people who are trying to adopt out pitbulls want to fight them illegally. Pits have been bred specifically to be aggressive. Other breeds might bite humans more frequently, but pits often bite more viciously.

In a perfect world, the rational and compassionate steps suggested by Sibyl might be sufficient to allow safe adoption of pitbulls to the public.

East Tennessee, however, is not a perfect world for animals. That is why most shelters in this area will not adopt pitbulls out to the public.

It is my understanding that many insurance companies will not provide homeowner coverage to pitbull owners.

I am really glad to see all the discussion.

The issue to me, however, is animal overpopluation, and what can we do to fight it.

Adoption is necessary to lower shelter kill rates, but adoption will not cure animal overpopulation. We can each adopt ten pets, but more and more and more will be coming unless action is taken to stop rampant and irresponsible breeding.

Making surgery easily and cheaply available is a great start. I also think education is important. I was absolutely flabbergasted, when I got my dog, about the number of people who asked if they could have a puppy "when she has them." Not even "if" she has them! And my dog is not some sort of pedigreed champion, OTCH, UDX type of dog. She is a mutt and clearly a mutt (a pretty mutt, though). And when I responded to people asking for a puppy that she was spayed and that there are usually plenty of puppies waiting to be adopted at the shelter, I actually had people argue with me that it was wrong not to let my dog have puppies. I don't know what the answer is. I guess that forcing all public school children to watch DVD's of dogs and cats being euthanized probably wouldn't be a popular solution, but I do think that humane treatment of animals and our pet overpopulation problem are appropriate subjects for school curricula.

I was absolutely flabbergasted, when I got my dog, about the number of people who asked if they could have a puppy "when she has them.

I was surprised when a youngster asked for one of Daisy's puppies. How to explain delicately that it wasn't going to happen?

So giving away puppies in front of a store = animal abuse & needless killing of animals? What a horrible lack of confidence in one's fellow human beings.

I believe that free spay/neuter and more education/ commercials are the answers.

It's silly to worry about running out of kittens. If the supply and demand were to get anywhere near balance then some people could let their pets have one litter before they were spayed.
___________________________________
Less is the new More - Karrie Jacobs

At this point, I question whether education gets the job done.

That's why I think differential license fees are important. Low annual license fees for neutered animals. High annual license fees for unneutered animals.

The new Alcoa animal control ordinance has an annual $3 pet registration fee for spayed/neutered pets v. $10 for unaltered.

For breeders, the annual kennel registration fees are:

(1) Less than ten (10) animals, twenty dollars ($20).
(2) Between ten (10) and twenty (20) animals, thirty dollars ($30).
(3) More than twenty (20) animals, forty dollars ($40).

(They probably ought to be ten times that, but anyway.)

Animals in heat must be contained. (I think this is state law, too.)

Owners of animals impounded three or more times in one year are required to have the animal spayed/neutered.