CLARKSVILLE (AND THE NATIONS) ANIMAL OVERPOPULATION IS NOT ANIMAL CONTROLS FAULT

WARNING: NOT A NICE COLUMN!  Call it a rant--a rave--whatever--but my heart is in my mouth over the number of animals being surrendered, abandoned, and put to sleep--and my feelings are rushing out faster than I can type.


We have so many animals in Clarksville, that end their days sitting in a kennel at our Animal Control.

For a long time, I was angry at the A/C officers.  It's easy to do when all you see is the bad, and you are not walking a mile in their shoes.

But a couple of years ago, I had an experience that made me take another look at my feeling about Clarksville's pound.
The day I went down to pick up my first foster dog, Sadie, there was a kid (OK-young man) behind the counter who I struck up a conversation with while Sadie was being processed.

We talked about the job, and the stamina it takes to do it. We talked about the efforts being made to save animals, and the sad truth that we can't save them all.
He spoke of the tough part--getting attached to one of those animals who he knew would never see another sunrise, and I could see the tears in his eyes as he spoke.


It touched my heart when I realized that this young man loved animals just as much I do.
That young man had fallen in love many, many times with countless fuzzy faces that he had probably helped destroy.  It made me see that he was a young man, with a crappy job that someone had to do---it just turned out to be him.
Animal Control is just a county agency put in place to handle a problem--just like the police--the fire department--and all the rest. 
I realized that it's not the A/C's fault that people mistreat their animals, starve and chain them like lawn ornaments, or allow litters of puppies and kittens to be born over and over, increasing the already explosive population in our county.+

It's not their fault that people don't tag their animals, or have them micro chipped so that in the event the animal should become lost, the owners can be located .

It's also not Animal Controls fault that, even when owners of “lost” or stray dogs and cats are located, the owners never come to claim the animals --no matter how many phone calls are made.
The guys and gals down at Animal Control do the job the county puts them there to do.

Do I like it--NO.
Sorry I'm a tree hugger and softy--I want every animal to live it's life to the fullest and be loved.

 It's people who create the animal problems--not the other way around.

Animal Control officers do a job that I couldn't do it--and I sure as heck am not going to sit in judgment of them for it.
I know in my heart that there is not a single person down there at this time that would not cheer if they were to find out they would never have to stop another heart from beating.

And I am willing to help them reach that goal, and encourage THE CITIZENS AND THE POLITICIANS who sign the checks BECOME INVOLVED TOO>
WE CAN SAVE THOSE LIVES! The power is in our hands today-and has been all along.

First we stop the countless litters from being born by having pets spayed and neutered so that the number of UNWANTED and DISCARDED animals will drop.

Second, we educate people about becoming foster families for animals, and work with our local shelters and the Animal Control to network these foster animals into permanent adoptions or into transports so that we can find homes for the healthy, adoptable animals that we are currently killing because we can't find homes fast enough.

We also could work to help to place those animals who are otherwise healthy, but suffer from allergies or loss of a limb, or have bladder problems.

If we could nurture 50 permanent foster homes in Clarksville, and place one dog or cat in each--WHAT A DIFFERENCE we could make!!

Animals die every day simply because that special person who would have loved them forever---never even knew they existed.
That's not fair--and the excuse of "that's life" just doesn't cut it with me.

WE HAVE THE POWER!! It's not political power or money power, which is probably why no one seems to be that interested in reaching out and grabbing a hand full!.

WE HAVE THE POWER TO SAVE LIFE--to keep hearts beating and lungs breathing! We have the POWER to make one of GOD”s CREATURES HAPPY!!!!

How can anyone not be interested in that?

So what was this fifty thousand word rant about??

What was my point??
My point was--GET OUT THERE AND TAKE HOLD OF SOME POWER!!!!
Save a life--make a four legged creature happy and give it a chance to fulfill it's destiny.
It has one--believe it or not--and it's to make someone happy.

WHY do you think God created them first?????
WRITE YOUR COUNTY COMMISSIONER AND YOUR MAYOR and tell them to get off their duffs and start supporting the efforts of AC and the local rescues to end this needless killing spree of animals whose only sin was BEING BORN!  Support the Director and those officers that want so much to see each and every animal that comes into their care LEAVE THAT FACILITY ALIVE AND WELL!
GET UP! GET OUT! GET INVOLVED!

I don't hold anger for the Animal Control people anymore. I know that the new director, Karen Josephson, is doing everything in her power to save those lives that pass thru the Montgomery County Animal Control.

But ONE PERSON can’t do it all.
 IT TAKES A COMMUNITY TO BEAT UP A VILLAGE OF IGNORANCE, DIS CONCERN, AND ALL OUT REFUSAL TO SEE THE ISSUE AT HAND!!!

As long as we stand stagnant, allowing the animal population to grow uncontrolled, and continue to ENCOURAGE the kill rate to climb--
it's not

The animals fault,

Not Animal Controls fault,

Not Karen Josephson’s fault

It’s ALL OF OUR FAULTS.