This extraordinarily cruel and inhumane treatment is how homeless pets are handled in Hinckley, Utah. Cats and dogs are held for only 72 hours in the local "shelter" and then taken to a nearby open sewer pit where they are shot. If they run out of bullets the animals are run over by a vehicle. The mayor of the community says it%u2019s efficient and cost-effective, and perfectly legal. Neighbors have reported that the pets are not always dead when they%u2019re thrown in the pit and some have crawled onto nearby properties to die a slow, painful death. Jed, shown in the photo, is a six-month old puppy who luckily managed to escape such a brutal outcome.
We the undersigned want to bring to your attention a matter that requires immediate redress. In Hinckley, and towns like it in the State of Utah, local officials are employing an archaic and cruel form of animal control.
Cats and dogs that find themselves homeless in so-called "shelters" are held for only 72 hours. Those that are not reclaimed within the unreasonably short amount of time are taken to a nearby mass burial site where they are brutally shot. Reportedly not all animals are even dead when they are thrown into the pit. Some have crawled onto nearby properties to die a slow, painful death.
How does an animal control facility call itself a shelter and then take such inhumane actions to deal with orphaned pets? The mayor of Hinckley has stated that it%u2019s efficient, cost-effective, and legal. It is incomprehensible that any human being, especially locally elected or appointed officials, would think that such actions are acceptable.
We are urging you to support legislation that standardizes ethical and humane practices for handling homeless pets statewide. Communities across the great State of Utah must be held to a higher, acceptable standard. It is time that someone finally stands up and says that this is not right.
Thank you for you immediate time and attention on this matter.
Sincerely,
