Trap/neuter/release debate (cats) - Page 2

There are so many,
I dunno.
Whatever is best for the dog is usually my thoughts.
I love animals too.

Wow those people shouldn't have dogs and probably not have kids either!! If they are that way with animals what the hell are they like with kids?? Sick just sick!!

I love that name by the way, Heidi.

Had a Heidi once, sweet dog, loved to chase my sheep...lol

I wish I could help with the dog, but the best I can do is wish you luck!

In re: the catching, altering, and releasing feral cats I can answer that for you Two Moons.  In places where there's a feral cat problem traditional control measures (i.e. shooting or poisoning) don't tend to work over the longer term.  What happens is you wipe out a lot of cats, and a short while later there are more.  And more.  And more.  So you (i.e. the local government agency responsible) ends up spending a great deal of money on control and it's a bottomless pit.  It's actually cheaper to trap, alter, and release ferals because they then occupy the available habitat and new feral cats don't move in.  It costs less longer term.  Of course it doesn't fix the problem entirely, but then we'd have to get people being responsible and not dumping their pets, and not letting unaltered animals roam... which leads us right back to the type of people who are ditching a GSD because of their own stupidity.

She also left me a VM so this must be pretty urgent.  She's at work now so I'll talk to her tonight.  If there are any rescues in that area that anyone is aware of, please let me know.  She is 7 years old, BTW.

Jackal,
I tend to disagree with you on the cats, the people you have pegged for sure.

I do not and would not stand for poisoning period, thats just plain stupid and unsafe.
Trapping is very effective.
But why return them into the wild to fend for themselves?
Thats cruel in itself.

Now if we could only find a way to reduce the human problem we'd be miles ahead.


Moons.

I'm partial to the name too, I have a daughter named Heidi.

There has to be a GSD rescue near you guys that should be able to help.
If nothing else, they should be able to list a courtesy posting for you on their Petfinder page.

Moon's,
You crack me up! Again your views on the cat issue coincide with PETA.

As for leaving the cats out to fend for themselves, that is what they were doing before she trapped them.
TNR (Trap Neuter Return) has proven to be a very effective solution lowering the numbers in many places with large homeless cat populations.
In instances where there are definitive boundaries this program has actually ended the homeless cat population within that area.
TNR isn't perfect, but, it's better than doing nothing!

Best of luck to Heidi, the GSD, and your friend!!!

Gsdtravels: In the past 5 years I have helped find homes for 5 german shepherds.  I live not to far from Downington and had alot of luck placing an ad in the Pottstown Mercury.  I received a ton of calls and had to filter thru the losers to find the right homes.  Luckily all worked out but 1 - who let the dog get out during a thunderstorm.  We found her 5 days later dead on the rail road tracks not far from her original home.  These were not my dogs.   I helped a friend I met thru training find homes for her german shepherds due to similar issue above.  Getting too many dogs and not setting any boundries.  Bringing a new pup into the house and letting it run free with the adult dogs with no supervision.  The adult shepherds attacked the lab pup and almost killed it.  I convinced her that german shepherds were not the breed for her and posted the ad.  I am still in touch with two of the new owners and the dogs are a happy and healthy in the new environment.  People in this area are looking for adult, house trained german shepherds and like adopting one knowing that they lived in a home etc and getting the medical records.  I think if your friend posted an ad (I think the ad might even be free when it is considered a rescue), she will find a few good homes to choose from.

I always found having a picture of the dog helps as well.

Also, I always made arrangements to meet the prospective new owners at a local park (not my house).  This way we could walk with the dog while I asked my questions.  In most of the cases I had a difficult time deciding between several good homes. 

I hope Heidi finds a good home soon.

Cheryl

 But why return them into the wild to fend for themselves? (Two Moons)

To fill the niche that will otherwise be filled with yet more feral cats.  As a management strategy it actually works, and costs less money than continual culling.  As the feral cats numbers decline due to natural losses new animals do fill those slots, but it's at a lower rate than if you wipe them all out and leave a vacuum.  The stable population numbers mean new individuals don't survive unless there is a spot vacant.  Best of all would be if people wouldn't dump pets at all, and only breed responsibly such that there aren't any feral animals, but with the example above us we can see just how responsible people are on average.  Where I am there actually *isn't* a feral cat problem because the harsh climate and the large predators keep numbers negligible, but there are many places that wrestle with the question of what to do with their feral cat populations.  Until the populace at large becomes more enlightened the only solutions remain mass euthanasia and maintaining feral colonies.  There simply aren't enough homes willing to take ferals, because unless they've been socialized to people as kittens they never completely adapt to captivity.  As for cruelty, if the cats were born feral they are living in a fairly natural setting, and do as well as any other small predator in the wild.  Cruel are the people who dump their poor confused and frightened companion animal alone in the wild -- particularly pregnant females.  The agencies who handle feral cat colonies tend to do the best they can for the creatures collectively -- and I can promise you that they'd prefer not to have to do the job at all!

When it comes to human populations I agree that breeding could be conducted more responsibly as well. ;)