The discarded

To the editor: While animal abandonment is a misdemeanor crime in New York State and punishable by up to a year in prison and/or a fine up to $,1000, people do it everyday. Even in our beautiful community of the Warwick Valley. Some dogs are left on the side of the road and some cats are left in boxes at the shelter. Both are forms of animal abandonment. An animal must be directly given over into someone’s care and custody, with their permission, to be considered relinquished and not abandoned. Animal Control, with the assistance of many concerned residents and the Chester Police, have been unsuccessful in their repeated attempts to capture an abandoned Shepherd-type dog who has been barely surviving on its own for more than two months in the area of LaRoe Road in Chester. Despite their efforts, this dog may never be caught and may end up being hit by a car or dying from exposure and starvation. The two rather large adult cats left in a box in the shelter’s outdoor pen on Sunday, Dec. 10, sadly, must be humanely euthanized since the Humane Society did not have an open cage for them. The person or persons responsible for their deaths are not the people at the Humane Society but their owner/caretaker who chose to abandon them. The Warwick Valley Humane Society has a policy for taking in pets that owners no longer want. We utilize a “surrender list” to admit these unwanted animals on a case by case and space availability basis. This allows each unwanted pet the opportunity to find another family without time limits. Every day, the shelter receives calls about giving up a pet. These are the people who have the courtesy to call first and then wait patiently on our never-ending surrender list. Unfortunately, we are not able to accommodate everyone at their convenience or in their time frame. If we did, our organization would be forced to euthanize healthy, safe pets every day no matter their age, size or breed. Building a bigger facility is not the answer. The answer lies in responsible pet ownership: knowing and being able to meet the physical and mental requirements for a particular pet animal’s well-being and of course, spaying, neutering and vaccinating all pets. These are simple solutions to society’s disregard and discard attitude toward companion animals. Suzyn Barron, president Warwick Valley Humane Society