Shelter considerations

Editor,

If people really want a shelter in Sidney, there are a few things to consider:

1. Without support from the community and cooperation from local government and law enforcement, you will fail, and then everyone will say you never existed. (What an insult to all the wonderful volunteers, event organizers, local businesses that supported and participated in events, and the generous donors who made the shelter possible!)

2. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Consult with rescue experts (not local vets) who know what works. Experimenting with old ideas already proven not to work will only kill more animals while you’re “learning the ropes.” Hint: They’re old ropes. Don’t be cat-stupid. Get educated and trained. There is more training available now than ever before.

3. Don’t expect one person to do most of the work. They can have heart attacks from the stress.

4. Letting cats roam because it’s their nature is cat-stupid in populated areas. If you really care about them, keep them indoors, or outside under direct control only. Yes, they can walk on leash. It’s a rare cat that stays in its own yard.

5. Lobby for affordable pet care, including micro-chipping. And then require loose pets to be scanned so truly lost ones can be returned to their owners.

6. Find a way to require anyone doing animal control to be certified before they take it upon themselves to euthanize animals at their own discretion. This can significantly interfere with rescue work and may even be illegal.

7. Fining people for feeding strays or ferals is cat-stupid. Compassionate people can’t be forced to be mean. They will feed them anyway. There is only one way to control strays. Since killing has never solved it, that leaves trap-neuter-release. Again, tried and failed in Sidney for lack of cooperation, but it works in other cities.

These comments are based on specific incidents (in the shelter that “never existed”). From the former director of HiPlains Animal Rescue, a SHELTER located in my donated 2-bedroom house (not some garage), LICENSED by the state from 2002-2007, passed all inspections, forced to close from lack of consistent support and cooperation, vandalism, overwhelming opposition and some theft and sabotage. (Five years of my life and my entire life savings, gone.) Many thanks to those who did support it (including Mr. Avey, the only local official who helped) or it wouldn’t have lasted that long. At least for the 1,000 or so animals saved during that time, it was not a total waste.

R.J. Peters