Page 10 THE BATTALION
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20. 1977
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1 University Or • College Station.Texas 77840 • 7T3/846 54W
Dogs and cats outnumber owners
By MICHELLE SMITH
The American Humane Associa
tion estimates that between 2,000
and 3,500 dogs and cats are born
hourly in the United States. And
the number of animals may greatly
exceed the number of responsible
owners.
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“The ultimate solution depends
on extensive public education in
owner responsibility, revision and
enforcement of animal control
policies and institution of effective
birth control methods,” said
Michael W. Riggs, a biomedical sci
ence student at Texas A&M Univer
sity who is currently researching the
problem.
Dr. George C. Shelton, dean of
veterinary medicine at Texas A&M,
says there’s no single solution. “We
have to approach the surplus from
every standpoint that could con
ceivably offer a solution,” he said.
“If every veterinarian in the
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country went to work just spaying
and neutering animals, it would not
make that big a dent in the- pet
population. They could work from
daylight until dark and it still
wouldn’t solve the problem,’ Shel
ton said. “There are only 30,000
veterinarians in the United States,
and the problem is bigger than they
can handle.”
The problem is compounded by
carefree breeding of the animals.
“Efforts to handle the problem
created by the surplus can be chan
neled into two basic approaches,”
said Riggs. Either more dogs and
cats could be destroyed or the birth
rate could be decreased, Riggs
said.
Euthanasia (mercy killing), is the
most widely-used method to de
stroy unwanted animals. The
American Humane Association said
it should only be employed when an
animal is too young, too old, or un
healthy; when the number of home
less animals exceeds the number of
suitable homes; or when daily
maintenance of animals becomes
physically or economically impossi
ble for the owner.
Pet owners in College Station
can’t have more than five dogs, said
Keith Foltermann, humane officer
for College Station.
Alvin Price, professor of veteri
nary physiology at Texas A&M, said
surplus animals are a real threat,
particularly in urban areas. He said
that animal-control laws are not
enforced like they should be be
cause people still violate the city or
dinances.
Dr. Bobby J. Cargill, a veterinar
ian, agrees.
“Better enforcement of the laws is
necessary, he said. “A lady came in
to the clinic today who had six or
seven cats and ten kittens. She said
she would like to have her animals
spayed, hut she couldn’t afford it.
“Until an owner controls birth, he
is not properly caring for the ani
mals,” explained Cargill.
“Revisions of existing animal shel
ter policies is also needed,” said
Riggs. “Pet adopters are not
adequately interviewed to deter
mine if they possess sufficient re
sponsibility to care for animals. The
result of this lack of screening in
placing dogs and cats is why a large
percentage of adopted animals end
up as strays.
An organization in Houston, the
Citizens for Animal Protection, is
working to make sure pets find re
sponsible owners. Owners must
agree to keep the adopted pet con
fined in a fenced yard or in the
“At present, most of them
are not available to the public,
Dr. Edwin Ellett, professorofi
erinary medicine and surgeij
Texas A&M. He said the Fix
Drug Administration has yet
prove the injections and the
>pc
house, providing that the pet is
walked frequently.
All animals placed by the organi
zation are weaned, are at least six
weeks old, are in good health and
are surgically sterilized.
“Surgical sterilization is advan
tageous to the pet and the owner,”
Riggs said. “The removal of repro
ductive organs makes them non-
susceptible to disease. Neutering
males makes them calmer, and
more likely to stay at home; it also
eliminates the spraying’ that is
characteristic of male cats.
The overall advantage, according
to the American Humane Associa
tion, is the elimination of the prob
lems associated with placing litters.
Spaying and neutering are major
surgical procedures that are slow
and costly. The veterinarian’s time
and the cost of his equipment make
the procedure expensive.
Other methods of contraception
are vaginal devices, steroid hor
mones, and hormonal antagonists
like progesterone and “morning af
ter” pills.
laws don’t favor some forms oflj
control.
Ellett says the greatest nurah
complaints the city officials hen
often about animal control,
funds in the budget remain lin
Texas receives $10 million
year from the retail pet inili
and none of this money is rets:
from taxes for research,” Ellett
Even with more money foi
search, public education is v
solving the problem, said Sht
Dorthea Robinson, a Bryan
inarian who has been practici
nine years, agrees tliat public
cation is necessary.
“Many people don’t know
they can bring their dog in I
morning after injection and pre
an unwanted pregnancy,” Robii
said. “Also, I know of no veteii
ian in the area who would
client pay the money out™
period of time if they couldnd
ford surgical fees.”
“Education of an irrespoai
public is the key element ofals
solution,” Kiggs emphasized.'
owners must be convinced I
animal control programs are foi
benefit of people as well aspej
There are two common methods
of euthanasia. The first is injection
of a barbituate, which is expensive
and requires administration by a
professional. Improper injection can
cause a painful death. The second
technique involves use of a gas
chamber.
Strict regulation of control laws
would reduce the number of dogs
and cats that must be euthanized in
population-control efforts. Accord
ing to an interim report of the
American Veterinary Medical As
sociation, elected officials have been
derelict in providing for and enforc
ing animal control laws.
Lou Odle, city manager of Bryan,
says there is a city ordinance that
prohibits keeping or harboring
more than four dogs older than
three months of age at a residence.
Odle also said that owners may not
let their animals run at large.
Battalion photo by Jerry Ml
So who needs snow?
Dr. George Jessup demonstrates the tech- during spring break to practice what they'v
nique of snowplowing to his snow skiing class. learned in class.
Members of the class took a trip to Vail, Colo.,