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Humane Trapping Saves Stray Animals: Cats, Dogs Taken to Humane Society

Posted on: Saturday, 17 December 2005, 12:00 CST

By PAM FIRMIN, The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss., The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss.

Dec. 17--Trappers hired by the Humane Society of the U.S. have been at work since Dec. 6 trying to save stray animals from being bulldozed. They'll conclude on Sunday. They are gathering up cats and dogs that have been running loose at least since Katrina, many made homeless by the storm, but with no way to know how many were strays beforehand. The need came to light when Salvation Army volunteers who had been feeding stray animals around Division Street in Biloxi contacted the Humane Society of South Mississippi after the bulldozing phase of clean-up began. The volunteers said they feared the animals were going to be hurt or killed by the bulldozers. "I thought since they were feeding quite a few animals in that one little area," said Tara High, HSSM executive director, "there may be lots more in other places, too, and if we've got large numbers of animals still on the street, then we've got to do something and soon." HSSM elicited national help to hire two professional humane trappers, one a wildlife trapper-veterinarian from Montana and the other an animal-control officer from Iowa. Humane traps have food inside and doors that close after the animal enters. "They have been just sweeping along the Coast, setting traps for cats and dogs and bringing them in," High said Thursday. "Fortunately, the numbers were not as large as we feared they would be, but we've still taken in about 100 animals over a nine-day period." Once trapped, the animals are taken to the shelter on Washington Avenue in Gulfport, where efforts are made to find permanent, suitable homes for them. "A lot of the cats are feral, unsocialized," High said, "so we are trying to find people who have barns who will step forward and take these cats and can provide shelter, food and water for them. We will sterilize them." Since all have been on their own for 3½ months, she said it's hard to tell if they had homes before the storm. Of the dogs brought in by the trappers, some have been injured or neglected, but "they also found some that are wonderful and that we placed," High said. "We are doing everything we can to save every animal coming off the street." Want to help? The Humane Society of South Mississippi needs: People

who have barns and will provide shelter, food and water for the numerous unsociable cats that have been homeless since Katrina. HSSM will provide spaying or neutering; Foster homes for animals in circumstances that prevent immediate adoption, such as a mother dog with a newborn litter (two came in this week) because shelter air is not healthy for newborns, and they need an indoor place to stay until they are six weeks old and can be put up for adoption. Toys: A drive is under way to collect a variety of chew toys and balls for dogs and varied toys, including ping pong balls, for cats.

Donations: Mail checks to HSSM, 13756 Washington Ave., Gulfport, MS 39503

Facts: Of 15,500 animals that came to the HSSM in 2004, almost 10,000 were euthanized. The focus is on spay-neutering and education as keys to ending such high numbers. With fences down since Katrina, HSSM has a lot more puppies brought in than were a year ago. They are held for five days, then put up for adoption. A transport of 30 puppies left Gulfport on Thursday for North Shore Animal League in New York and others are going to Phoenix, Ariz., and Inglewood, Colo. All are towns with successful spay-neuter laws in place that don't have the overpopulation problem the Coast does. Details: Call 863-3354. ------------ Original Sound Off There was a very small comment in the Sun Herald last week that trappers would be working for the Humane Society of South Mississippi trying to collect the animals that had been left behind by their owners when they left the Coast. Please put this information somewhere in the Sun Herald that it will be seen instead of in some section not noticed unless you "dig" deep. Once in another world before Katrina I thought things were improving for our companion animals. There are many good citizens who live here that still care about what not only the people are going through but also the animals. TARA HIGH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HUMAN SOCIETY OF SOUTH MISSISSIPPI

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Copyright (c) 2005, The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss.

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Source: The Sun Herald (Biloxi, Miss.)

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