It was November 2017; I had only been living in Brisbane for two years. Naturally, I knew that I loved working with animals and was looking for a new volunteering opportunity. \u201cDon\u2019t go to the RSPCA\u201d, one lady told me, \u201cI don\u2019t like the way they do things\u201d. No, from previous dealings, I wasn\u2019t a fan of them either. I knew their euthanasia rates were high, of course, especially for cats. Overall, the systemic issues that the RSPCA faces are insurmountable. I believe there have been slight improvements in kill rates and other systemic issues over time, as public attitudes toward adopted animals have changed. However, I am doubtful that this remains true at present in today\u2019s climate of political and global uncertainty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I don\u2019t believe any rescue organisation is perfect, and perhaps I would be surprised if I learnt more about what happens behind the scenes at the Animal Welfare League Queensland (AWLQ) – I once looked in the staff communications book. This is what I saw: these three dreaded letters: PTS. I might also be shocked if I found out the euthanasia rates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The process that each animal goes through before being put up for adoption is extensive and costly. As a volunteer, you only get glimpses of that process. You don\u2019t get a real understanding of the systemic issues of the organisation or the overall culture. But generally speaking, I believe the AWLQ to be an integral component of the community in terms of aiding and rehoming companion animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you must know is that the intake of cats compared to dogs is staggering due to \u201crampant overbreeding\u201d (Animals Australia) and overall stray populations. Therefore, shelters are receiving huge numbers of cats; the number of cats being reclaimed is much, much lower compared to dogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Animals Australia, only about 5% -10% of cats are reclaimed from shelters, compared to 30% – 70% of dogs, though it is likely these rates vary significantly depending on location. Overall, cats have \u201csubstantially poorer outcomes than dogs, with the average euthanasia rate being 4 x greater than that of dogs and as high as 85-98% for urban stray cats\u201d (Pet Rescue).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sad reality is \u2018getting to zero\u2019 is challenging, but it is definitely doable. It is heartbreaking and frankly, sickening to think that across Australia, thousands (the Australian Pet Welfare Foundation puts this number at 70,000) of otherwise healthy animals are being euthanised due to overcrowding, lack of resources, or other minor health and\/or behavioural issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So what is the solution in today\u2019s world where adoption rates are said to be plummeting due to the cost of living crisis? People can\u2019t find homes, let alone find suitable housing that allows pets. Well, according to the Australian Pet Welfare Foundation, community cat programs are one of them. A community cat program would use a modern approach that centres support first. An overview of what this would look like (retrieved from Australian Pet Welfare Foundation):<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-Free desexing, microchipping and registration, with no limits per household and no criteria to enrol
-Targeted programs in disadvantaged areas
-Barrier-free access to provide transport to vet clinics if needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In essence, we need a more collaborative approach, because the traditional \u2018animal management\u2019 approach doesn\u2019t work. The problem with the traditional approach is that it relies on enforcement; it effectively punishes all parties involved. It also neglects to put education at the forefront. For example, owners get fined, and more cats are trapped and impounded. The traditional approach results in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-A higher euthanasia rate
-Supply outweighing demand
-A higher level of complaints and surrenders
-More costs to councils, shelters and pounds, rescues, and other community members
-Possible higher toll on wildlife<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More research is needed on community cat management programs, but based on overseas research, it is likely that targeted locations could see a 30% decrease in cat intake into shelters and pounds (Pet Rescue) after 1 year, as well as a 50% decrease in the killing of healthy and treatable cats from target areas after 1 year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I went to my induction day, you could choose to volunteer with cats or dogs. My prediction: most people would choose dogs. About 90% chose dogs. I already knew I was going to choose cats, but this further solidified my position. There is still a lot of bias against stray cats in shelters, and discrimination runs rife. Black cats, of course, are still heavily stigmatised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I generally found the organisation to have an overall predilection towards dogs. Staff culture was very much \u2018pro-dog\u2019, and dogs would generally get more \u2018air time\u2019. I definitely felt that the organisation prioritised dogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, about those dreaded sales – throughout the year, the shelter would run various adoption sales, usually when there was a need for it due to overcrowding or simply to fast-track adoptions. Whether it was the annual Howl-O-Ween sale or the Christmas sale, it was sure to anger me. Adult dogs would be advertised at $99, while cats were a measly $29. You heard that right, $29: that\u2019s less than the cost of someone\u2019s Uber Eats delivery. Not only is that deeply insulting to the cat, but it takes the objectification of animals to a whole new low.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I often talked to one of the other cat volunteers about it, and she was horrified. What is that teaching people about the value of companion animals? Well, it teaches them that animals are objects to be bought and sold; it reinforces the view that they are disposable. And if it doesn\u2019t work out? Oh, that\u2019s okay, it was only $29. We can ask the shelter for a refund and bring them back. And bring them back, they did! Would we put a price on a human\u2019s life? If we did, what value would it be? It is not the way we want to educate the public about pet ownership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It soon became a problem with some individuals who would come into the cattery and ask, \u201cWhere are the $29 cats?\u201d (Generally, most adult cats were priced at $180, with some long-term or elderly residents priced at $50), as if they were shopping for a piece of furniture. And although there may be some minor tweaks in Family Law legislation (pets are a distinct type of property), they are still effectively classed as property under the law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I do remember cases where several poor cats were returned up to 3 times for various reasons, and certainly through no fault of their own. It always angered me because I knew how much this had an impact on the cat\u2019s overall health and well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These situations could have been completely avoidable if more care was taken with the adoption process or if there was a minimum requirement to spend a set amount of time with the cat in a designated ‘meet and greet’ area. Naturally, it is a very stressful environment for them. It is hard to gauge a cat\u2019s true personality in the shelter environment. It helps if the cat is confident and deemed outwardly affectionate to the public, because they will be adopted pretty quickly. But the sad reality is most aren\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is already terrifying for these cats to be in the shelter environment, but for some, being returned would easily take a toll on their mental health. These poor cats would become withdrawn and angry. Their frustration would grow, sometimes causing them to lash out at staff or members of the public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This actually resulted in one poor cat being PTS because they developed many behavioural issues and bit someone. But what do you expect?<\/em> That poor cat just wanted out. I remember being very angry at the time because I knew that if the poor cat had been given a chance out in foster care, it could have been avoided. But for whatever reason, that didn\u2019t happen. The organisation failed her<\/em>. And for what it’s worth, I only ever saw a highly affectionate cat. Sadly, she slipped through the cracks. And over time, she was worn out. Tired. Frustrated. The process had failed her<\/em>. I was also angry at myself, because I thought: You could have done something. You could have taken her home. <\/em>But alas, I wasn\u2019t allowed to have cats. I had failed her.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, I must acknowledge that companion animals are positioned way above farmed animals in the human-animal relationship hierarchy. Farmed animals have no legal representation whatsoever. These false hierarchies have created a chasm in our relationship with the world around us, and we are starting to see profound repercussions in our environment. Unless we seriously start to rethink the human-animal relationship, I only see this chasm widening. Perhaps it\u2019s only a matter of time before the planet opens right up and devours us all. There\u2019s still much more we can do in advocating for animals of all kinds, so in the meantime, let\u2019s do our best. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A promising start It was November 2017; I had only been living in Brisbane for two years. Naturally, I knew that I loved working with animals and was looking for a new volunteering opportunity. \u201cDon\u2019t go to the RSPCA\u201d, one lady told me, \u201cI don\u2019t like the way they do things\u201d. No, from previous dealings, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2041,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[58,57],"animal":[],"class_list":["post-2036","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-animal-rights","tag-animalshelter","tag-companionanimals"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/becduffey.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2036","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/becduffey.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/becduffey.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/becduffey.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/becduffey.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2036"}],"version-history":[{"count":32,"href":"https:\/\/becduffey.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2036\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2079,"href":"https:\/\/becduffey.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2036\/revisions\/2079"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/becduffey.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2041"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/becduffey.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2036"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/becduffey.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2036"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/becduffey.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2036"},{"taxonomy":"animal","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/becduffey.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/animal?post=2036"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Hierarchies within hierarchies<\/em><\/h5>\n\n\n\n