Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control (MADACC) has killed 3,498 animals so far this year. (This does not include those that died in their kennel, were dead on arrival, or were owner-requested euthanasia).
Five birds, 2,205 cats, 1,239 dogs, and 49 other animals died at MADACC. The charts below show comparisons from last year to this year and also the breakdown of the August statistics. As you can see, in August alone, MADACC killed 665 animals.
MADACC's August statistics showed some improvement over last August but other cities in America are saving over 90% of the animals in their care. Click here to read more.
Thank you to the staff at MADACC for beginning to post their statistics in a timely fashion. The key to solving a problem is to know that there is a problem. Transparency in government organizations is key, so that citizens can evaluate how their tax dollars are being spent. If you live in one of the 19 municipalities of Milwaukee County that MADACC serves, you are paying for this problem.
July and August are typically the highest intake months for shelter animals for a few reasons. First, it is the height of kitten and puppy season. Second, the weather is warmer and pets are outside more. Third, thunderstorms and fireworks displays cause many pets to bolt in panic. The week after July 4th is the busiest week of the year nationwide for animal shelters. Approximately 50-70% of all animals in America's shelters are lost pets.
Yet, very few people in Milwaukee know that MADACC exists. They don't know where or how to go about looking for their lost pet.
Many people believe that it costs more money to save more lives when in fact, it usually costs less. Taxpayers are already shouldering the burden of handling, housing, euthanizing, and disposing of animals. This is very costly. Other cities are realizing increased cost savings by returning more lost pets to their owners, preventing surrenders, transferring animals to rescue partners and adopting out others. Trap, neutering and returning feral cats reduces their population in a more humane and cost effective manner than the traditional "catch and kill' method that is used now.
Here is an excellent booklet called "Dollars and Sense" to download and share if you are interested in learning how to save tax dollars with more effective and humane animal control. http://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/econbenefits.pdf
http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=objectivism_animal_rights
Even England has modified its own common law over the centuries. You can have a pet (God forbid), but you better not mistreat it, or you can be arrested. Property rights to animals are not absolute by any means, though some would like to repeal such restrictions (so called government "meddling"). .
We all know animals suffer. One can definitely see the hardening of feelings when animals are hurt by someone, perhaps a child, then extending to how they regard fellow humans later. Should it surprise us that the Ayn Rand Institute denies animals have any rights whatsoever?
simply property. If something is private property it implies that you can do whatever you please with that object,including abuse it, maim it or destroy it. It seems you are coldly advocating this in using the code word "property" that laws protecting animals should not be legislated. Will we see a loosening of such existing regulations in that regard should the Tea Party gain any ground come Novermber? Would it really surprise anyone? Abusing animals can be quite profitable in the food and medical lab industries, or save government expenditures, as in the case of destroying animals in tax supported "shelters."