Public education
May 23rd, 2005The fundamental “problem” is neither dumping nor de-sexing - the “problem” is not animals, the “problem” is an un-educated public who consider animals as disposable objects, like toys.
When some people tire of an animal they dump it in the streets for someone else to find and care for. Other, responsible, people surrender animals for very genuine reasons - they move somewhere the animal is not welcome, become too old/sick to care for the animal, or no longer have the funds to care for an animal. The animal might also be unsuitable for various reasons or have a personality problem.
Another facet of “the problem” is desexing. Recent surveys have shown men do not like to desex male animals as they associate desexing with castration of themselves.
Educating the public is a primary focus of The Lost Dogs´ Home. The dog dumping and straying problem has been dramatically reduced over the years since 1970 when the Dog Act came in, forcing compulsory registration. But there is still a long way to go towards changing public attitudes, especially with regards to cats. Under the new Domestic Animals Act of 1994, compulsory registration of cats begins on April 1st, 1996. Cats would then have the same status as dogs, and would be impounded and kept for 8 days if picked up as strays.
The Lost Dogs´ Home also regularly provide information sessions to primary schools, promoting responsible pet ownership in a fun way.
