Operation NO KILL Florida- End senseless Euthanazation of Healthy Animals in Shelters

To the Legislature of the State of Florida,

We, the undersigned, call for a halt to the murder that is occurring in animal shelters across the State of Florida . A civilized society does not accept or endorse the slaughter that is presently taking place across our State. A shelter animal is killed once every 8 seconds throughout this country, and it is time for shelters to begin to work with their volunteers in an effort to END euthanization of animals, with the exception of medical necessity when ALL other veterinary means have been exhausted. 

Whether it be by injection or by gas chamber, there is NO humane reason to end the life of an otherwise healthy cat or dog, simply because they have been placed in a shelter and have run past that shelter's time limits. The fact is, in the United States, there are 3 million cats and dogs in shelters this year, however, there are as many as 15-17 MILLION homes that will take in a dog or a cat as a pet this year as well...this math is simple, there IS a home for every dog or cat. Further, when an animal is abused, sick or injured, it is the responsibility of every shelter to have either a veterinary technician on staff at all times, or on call at the very least, and that all efforts to help the animal before putting them down for humane purposes has been exhausted. They also should be offered up for adoption, to a family that is willing to care for them, when the injury or illness is not life threatening or dangerous to others.

Laws need to be enacted to make sure that every animal admitted to a shelter be photographed, given an identification number, and this information must be made available to the public! A shelter needs to provide a way out, as well as a way in, for each and every animal! We demand this become mandatory in every county in the State. Its important that EVERY dog be identified and put up on the shelter’s website and social media pages, so that potential owners can find their pets that may have been lost. The way that things are at the present, it is fact that many “pets” who got out of their homes, have been euthanized prior to their loving owners ever finding them-one more reason to end euthanization in its entirety. Low cost spaying and neutering is available in virtually every county, and it is time that every sheltered animal be brought to one of these facilities, or have the facility come to the shelter and perform the service, to insure that every dog or cat that leaves the shelter has been spayed or neutered, so that they we will eventually end the issue of unwanted puppies and kittens being born.

Puppy mills, puppy auctions and pet stores are a part of the population issue, and something needs to address this very fact. Registration entities should be prohibited from supplying registration numbers for animals purchased from pet stores, puppy mills, or commercial breeders and anyone who is not licensed to breed. Licenses must be submitted with registration requests. By requiring breeders to be licensed to do so, you are able to control the number of breeders and thus, control the population of the animals. Further, there should be stiff fines and or jail time for anyone that does not comply with this law. Licensed breeders must agree to take back or re-home animals they have bred if the animals cannot be kept by the purchaser. Failure to do so should result in immediate suspension of licenses.

Stiff penalties and serious jail time must be given to animal abusers. It is a fact animal abusers often escalate to abuse people, or worse. The euthanization of any animal in a shelter that has been committed to, by rescue, should be punishable by criminal penalties and/or hefty fines.

We respectfully request that our voices be heard! We are more than willing to come to Tallahassee, in numbers, and meet with Law Makers to put an end to the horrible conditions that exist in shelters and to put an end to the animal holocaust in what are supposed to be *shelters*! At this time, the term "animal shelter" has become oxymoronic- this needs to change!