murraysmom

Philly Dawg see Jan 5th article
"Harrisburg Cops Say They Are Not Killing Dogs"

Quote:

"The Harrisburg police department has retreated from its shoot-to-kill policy on stray dogs, after citizens expressed outrage over a city memo ordering officers to shoot dangerous, sick and injured dogs.
The policy statement - issued Dec. 23 after a dispute with the Humane Society of the Harrisburg area left the bankrupt city with no animal control services since October - told officers to shoot animals that they deemed "vicious and a danger to the public or themselves."
This is legal.
But it went on to tell officers to shoot sick and injured dogs and left what to do with healthy dogs up to the police.
It stated the officers could adopt the dog themselves, give it to someone else or deposit it in a "safe environment."
Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson, after telling citizens last month the issue had been settled, now says the city has paid its bill ($6,300 from 2011) and is engaged in talks on the 2012 contract.
The humane society however says the 2011 bill is not paid up and it wants $10,000 in an initial payment on the 2012 contract.
Meanwhile, with temperatures approaching single digits, reports of stray dogs continue. The Central Pennsylvania Animal Alliance, which has no shelter of its own and uses foster homes for rescues, has been responding to stray dog requests.
In one case Harrisburg animal control officer picked up a dog yesterday and said he would take it to his own farm until things are resolved.
Ritter said the city is in a difficult position that has left good-hearted officers calling rescue volunteers themselves, according to the Patriot-News.
"We do not have the capabilities of having a 48-hour kennel. ... We've exhausted all of our means of using these animal rescues, which are filled to capacity, so we're kind of like at a dead end," Ritter said.
Tom Hickey, a West Chester resident and member of the Governor's Dog Law Advisory Board, says this situation highlights a statewide problem of shelters closing doors to stray animals because of disputes with municipalities that can only be solved on a statewide action.
Hickey said it's time Secretary of Agriculture George Greig to call for a meeting of the dog law advisory board, which has not met since Gov. Corbett took office a year ago.
"The failure of animal control is not just a Harrisburg problem. We almost had it in Delaware County, and Lancaster County is on the edge," said Hickey.
(In addition, the Pennsylvania SPCA has given up its animal control contract with the City of Philadelphia, but is continuing to take in animals for the next three months while the city sets up its own shelter and animal control operation.)
With Harrisburg, he said, at least the public is now aware of the situation.
"But the Humane Society seems to be absent, without them this can't be solved and dogs are going to die," said Hickey. "I understand city in bad spot. But it's unbelievable that all this happened over $6,000."

bubbad

Mabe it isn't so surprising this happened over $6000.00.When the rescues run out of money then who feeds the animals? or do we turn them loose?

Mikey T

humane societies are hardly rescue very few ok a miniscule amount practice no-kill standard. aslu rescue mange to survive completely on donations humane societsy many survive om contracts with goverment agencies.



it about freeking time no if a state finally smartem up and remove pleace power and enforcement to civilains and take responsibility for animal control and enforcement themselves. there are way too many problems when you have animal right zealots in charge of enforcement.

adiposestem

Thank you for sharing.


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murraysmom

Quote from Mikey T:
[/SIZE]
it about freeking time no if a state finally smartem up and remove pleace power and enforcement to civilains and take responsibility for animal control and enforcement themselves. there are way too many problems when you have animal right zealots in charge of enforcement. [/QUOTE]

Mike,I think you missed the point- the state isn't doing anything. The dog law advisory board hasn't met since Corbett took office.

Harrisburg is bankrupt and because it hasn't paid the Humane Society for animal control services, and because they have no back-up plan, stray dogs are going hungry and freezing on the streets. The memo that went out to police gave them permission to illegally shoot sick and injured dogs, and put responsibility on officers to 'find a safe place' to storehouse healthy dogs.

Municipaliteis around here are increasingly opting out of using Humane Societies- communities close to me have decided to contract with private kennels because it's cheaper. Also, some are shipping dogs out of their own county to nearby counties. This results in alot of confusion- if your dog is lost, it's often hard to find out where the dog is-

I agree with Tom Hickey:
Quote from posted Philly Dog article:
"Tom Hickey, a West Chester resident and member of the Governor's Dog Law Advisory Board, says this situation highlights a statewide problem of shelters closing doors to stray animals because of disputes with municipalities that can only be solved on a statewide action.
Hickey said it's time Secretary of Agriculture George Greig to call for a meeting of the dog law advisory board."

Wworm

i don't know what to say about the politics part of things, but Murraysmom, it makes me so sad to hear about dogs being shot & killed. any animals for that matter.

it made me super sad when those animals got out in Ohio (lions, tigers, bears) and almost all were shot & killed. i'm sure there's other opinions on what happened there, but i really wished for some other solution.
--Worm

__________________
see what the Worm is up to: http://bassetworm.blogspot.com/

Swimming-duck

OMG - that's crazy...and sad.

Kirska

I'm not as worried about the ones being shot, though obviously that's a serious problem. I'm more worried about the ones sent to a "safe environment" since that can mean anything from a dumpster to the side of the road. Starving or being hit by a car is no more humane, if anything less.

Can't make sweeping statements about humane societies or SPCA groups, as literally every one is completely independent and remarkably different. With 10 miles of each other here we have open intake high kill humane societies and very limited intake foster-only humane societies.

Lila came from a humane society that is foster only and very much no kill. In fact they're very picky about adopters and required a home visit first, so they were pretty much the most extreme type of no kill.

__________________
Mom to Anabelle and Lila, rescued ladies and Harley, Corgi/Beagle/Basset/?? mutt

"Saving just one dog won't change the world, but it surely will change the world for that one dog." - Richard C. Call

loopylou

I'm with you on the Ohio thing Wormie - I just don't understand why they couldn't tranquilise the animals. Innocent animals should never be treated so poorly and with such disrespect. I appreciate it's a tough financial environment but surely there's a better way to approach things, the thought of a dog being dumped or shot breaks my heart.

murraysmom

Kirska:

acccording to this Jan 2 Philly Dog article "They Shoot Dogs Don't They"
Philly Dawg

Quote:
What if a Harrisburg resident's dog was lost and did not pose a threat? Here's the city's solution to that problem, according to Harrisburg Police Captain Book's email:
If the animal is determined to be a "found" animal, the officer can ask the complainant if they want to keep the animal or if they know someone who will adopt the animal, or the officer can adopt the animal for himself/herself, or the officer can place the animal in a prisoner van and release it to an area where it will be safe for the animal.
What "safe place?" A park? A forest? An upscale neighborhood in suburbia?
Abandonment of dogs violates the state's animal cruelty law and in addition, releasing domestic animals "into the wild" is against state game laws.
Perhaps the most chilling line in the memo is this:
If you choose to adopt the animal yourself or release it in a safe environment, DO NOT inform the complainant of your intentions.
Maybe the officer could say the animal is going to "a nice farm in the country?"

"What we do know is that Harrisburg animal control has been shuttling animals 60 miles away to a shelter in Chambersburg in an attempt to save their lives for months.
Nancy Gardner, president of the board of the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter and a member of the state's Dog Law Advisory Board, recently informed the state they would no longer take strays from out of county because they cannot afford it and do not have space."