[Rapscallion St Croix]

Jeez. The lady is just asking like minded people to attend a meeting. Why is it necessary to put her through an inquisition?

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by Rapscallion St Croix

Jeez. The lady is just asking like minded people to attend a meeting. Why is it necessary to put her through an inquisition?

I may be there. We will see. I will be there in spirit if not body.

[angiefox10]

Originally Posted by rubicon

angiefox: I admire what you do and I admire you for your concern. I too am against animal cruelty.

However the narrative that you share leaves me with the impression that the supply of pets exceeds demands and the situation is getting out of hand. To wit you state the shelter is killing 32% of animals a month. You state that an owner has only 3 days to claim their pet.

It seems doubtful that people who work at animal shelters euthanize pets just for the kick of it. it would seem that they have a bona fide purpose for doing so.

Love cause people to lose objectivity whether its children or animals . Parents/owners expectations of what should be tolerated vis a vis others is incongruent

Perhaps there is a compromise and by your tone of concern and your interest I'll wager you will find one.

Personal Best Regards:

To your point. If there are empty kennels and they are killing animals. Doesn't that seem odd to you? Does it appear that there are too many animals if they have empty kennels. To be honest, I thought the same thing. I thought that maybe they were full and had to make room. That doesn't seem to be the case as they have actually told me they have empty kennels.

Can you tell me why no one is allowed to take pictures inside the facility? I've been told they will take your camera if you try. Why not?

If there are too many animals in the shelter, why wouldn't they want people to help find the owners and keep the animal count down? It would save the county money and manpower to not have to come and get the found pets. I know, just my gas bill is high and I live in The Villages. They have to send someone out from the facility to The Villages to get our pets and take them back when we can get them back to the owners without it. Does it make sense to you?

Someone suggested that the call was going to just me. Lost Pets of The Villages is a community of 1,400 strong and growing. This is the number of people who are working every day to get our pets back to the owners and keep them out of the shelters. The group consists of the cat group, birds, dogs, and wildlife.

I hope that people would educate themselves about No Kill. Right now, what we have is a High Kill shelter. That means that they kill according to the number of days... It doesn't have anything to do with the health or age of the animal.

A No Kill doesn't mean that they never have to put down an animal. It means they will have a reason to do so. Now, they don't. They can and do just kill for the sake of killing.



If they can't kill the animals, they would have to get more active in finding the owners. Now they kill according to days.... They make no effort to find the owner. Often times there isn't even a photo of the pet posted before it's killed.

Most people here don't know where to find their pets if they are lost. This is why I founded Lost Pets of The Villages.

Because Sumter County is High Kill, if you lose your pet, you will have to go to three county shelters to look for your pet. This is because people who know about Sumter County High Kill policy will drive a pet to another county and call them to come and get them keep your pet alive.

In a No Kill Nation, they spay/neuter all animals that come through the facility. They offer spay and neuter to residents at a low cost. In a few short years they have brought down the over population of animals in the cities that are working the program.

A true No Kill shelter has to go through 11 or 12 steps to make it work. But it does work.

I actually come from an area that is and has been no kill for years. The community is very involved in the shelter and very active in making it work.

Last week I went to Lake County Shelter, which is a No Kill, they were very happy about it. They told me it works. It was a very active shelter. I was able to walk around and look at the animals without an escort and take photos. Such a difference. So many volenteers and people coming in to adopt.

I will leave you with this.


http://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/...81/calclrr.pdf

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by mysunshine1948

I am forwarding this information for the awareness of our community. Many Villagers are not aware that our tax dollars support a kill shelter. Sumter County Animal Services is a kill shelter.....not much of a shelter! Your presence at a meeting is important for the commissioners to be aware that people here want this changed! Please pass on this information and attend the meeting.

Here is the message:
"I need help! On August 22, I am speaking in front of the Sumter County Board of Commissioners at 5:00 p.m. at Colony Cottage Recreation Center. The more animal lovers we have in the room will help to make them take us seriously and do something to change the practice. Large numbers speak volumes.

I am going to ask the Sumter County Animal Services to implement several plans that go toward changing Sumter County Animal Services from a high kill to a no kill service. I am going to show them, with their own numbers, how deplorable their numbers are for animals that come into their control.

I want to stop them from killing 33% of the animals that come into their shelter. PLEASE take this request seriously. Please show up for this meeting. I , as well as others work to get pets returned to owners, but we all need your help! We cannot do this alone. You do not have to live in The Villages to attend.

Put it on your calendar....TUESDAY, AUGUST 22 at 5:00 p. m. at
Colony Cottage Receeation Center."

Oren Miloer

Colony Cottage is just off Morse just south of 466A near Colony Plaza. Please attend! Thank you!

Just reminding people of the topic of the thread.

[graciegirl]

You are right as usual, Rapscallion.

[kaseydog]

Lost pets of the villages does a wonderful job of reuniting lost pets with their owners. If lost pets end up at sumter animal shelter their chances of returning home decreases. Thank you angie fox for spearheading this effort to make sumter county shelter a no kill shelter.

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by blicata

Lost pets of the villages does a wonderful job of reuniting lost pets with their owners. If lost pets end up at sumter animal shelter their chances of returning home decreases. Thank you angie fox for spearheading this effort to make sumter county shelter a no kill shelter.

I will try to spread the message on Facebook and elsewhere about this drive to make Sumter County's Animal Shelter a no kill one.

Animal Services | Sumter County, FL - Official Website

Meetings, Agendas, and Minutes | Sumter County, FL - Official Website

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by Lovey2

I will be at the meeting for sure. I applaud Angie and Oren and their host of helpers that are actually out there "doing something". It's easy for the rest of us to sit in our cozy chairs and question their tactics and reasoning. If one of my pets ever got out, I'd be thanking God we have these angels around and their procedures and plans in place. In the meantime, till I can go out and be of help searching and talking to people, I will certainly attend any meeting they ask me to. One persons pet prematurely killed is one too many for me.

I agree with every statement in your post.
I would definitely attend the meeting if I weren't in Canada.

[Here2Stay]

For those who comment about the why's, clearly not folks interested in helping or understanding this cause! Clearly not pet people! Hope the Villages and those outside show up for this event, just to hear the details! THEN COMMENT! Would have been nicer to see the comments saying, "thanks for taking the time out to care about these pets"! instead of any negative comments before you even understand the issues! Please Villages, show your support to this cause! Count us IN!

[rubicon]

Originally Posted by angiefox10

To your point. If there are empty kennels and they are killing animals. Doesn't that seem odd to you? Does it appear that there are too many animals if they have empty kennels. To be honest, I thought the same thing. I thought that maybe they were full and had to make room. That doesn't seem to be the case as they have actually told me they have empty kennels.

Can you tell me why no one is allowed to take pictures inside the facility? I've been told they will take your camera if you try. Why not?

If there are too many animals in the shelter, why wouldn't they want people to help find the owners and keep the animal count down? It would save the county money and manpower to not have to come and get the found pets. I know, just my gas bill is high and I live in The Villages. They have to send someone out from the facility to The Villages to get our pets and take them back when we can get them back to the owners without it. Does it make sense to you?

Someone suggested that the call was going to just me. Lost Pets of The Villages is a community of 1,400 strong and growing. This is the number of people who are working every day to get our pets back to the owners and keep them out of the shelters. The group consists of the cat group, birds, dogs, and wildlife.

I hope that people would educate themselves about No Kill. Right now, what we have is a High Kill shelter. That means that they kill according to the number of days... It doesn't have anything to do with the health or age of the animal.

A No Kill doesn't mean that they never have to put down an animal. It means they will have a reason to do so. Now, they don't. They can and do just kill for the sake of killing.



If they can't kill the animals, they would have to get more active in finding the owners. Now they kill according to days.... They make no effort to find the owner. Often times there isn't even a photo of the pet posted before it's killed.

Most people here don't know where to find their pets if they are lost. This is why I founded Lost Pets of The Villages.

Because Sumter County is High Kill, if you lose your pet, you will have to go to three county shelters to look for your pet. This is because people who know about Sumter County High Kill policy will drive a pet to another county and call them to come and get them keep your pet alive.

In a No Kill Nation, they spay/neuter all animals that come through the facility. They offer spay and neuter to residents at a low cost. In a few short years they have brought down the over population of animals in the cities that are working the program.

A true No Kill shelter has to go through 11 or 12 steps to make it work. But it does work.

I actually come from an area that is and has been no kill for years. The community is very involved in the shelter and very active in making it work.

Last week I went to Lake County Shelter, which is a No Kill, they were very happy about it. They told me it works. It was a very active shelter. I was able to walk around and look at the animals without an escort and take photos. Such a difference. So many volenteers and people coming in to adopt.

I will leave you with this.


http://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/...81/calclrr.pdf

angiefox: Thank you for having the patience to explain this situation in more detail. Discussion leads to clarification and hence better understanding. Your concern and your call to action makes sense. I now have come to 180 on this issue.

Personal Best Regards:

[angiefox10]

Originally Posted by rubicon

angiefox: Thank you for having the patience to explain this situation in more detail. Discussion leads to clarification and hence better understanding. Your concern and your call to action makes sense. I now have come to 180 on this issue.

Personal Best Regards:

Thank you!

You have heard my story. In the coming months, you will hear a lot of stories. YOu will hear stories that will leave you shaking your head, you will hear stories that will make you cry, (I just read one such story) you will hear stories that will make you want to get even more details.

This first presentation is going to be about the numbers... That is where we will start. There may be more people who will get up and speak, but for us, it will be the one speaker. As the months go on, we will unfold the whole picture and history of the shelter and the situation that we are facing and wish to change.

I am not the "person" in charge. Nor am I the "leader" This is a group and a a very large group. This has been a project for several years and now... it has come to a head.

The Villages is getting involved.

As you know, we are a talented group, each with our own strengths. We are working with those strengths to change our shelter for the better

There is no reason Sumter County with the population of The Villages and our taxes that we can't do better than what we have.

People should be asking questions such as....

Why do they not allow volunteers?
Why can't you go in without an escort?
Why aren't they taking photos of all intakes as soon as they enter the shelter?
Why can't people take photos?

These are just a few of the questions that people need to be asking.

Why is this shelter so much different than the others?

Why are they killing animals when they have empty kennels?


We have the numbers from their site, but wonder if they are correct. No one is allowed in to see what's going on.

Even before I got involved in this, I received an email form someone who told me it was bad... very bad. She had a friend who worked there and couldn't quit because it was the only way she could help them.

I wonder what it does to the mind of the person who kills all these animals?

Just food for thought.

[Blessed2BNTV]

Originally Posted by blicata

Lost pets of the villages does a wonderful job of reuniting lost pets with their owners. If lost pets end up at sumter animal shelter their chances of returning home decreases. Thank you angie fox for spearheading this effort to make sumter county shelter a no kill shelter.

I have a cat that use to be an outdoor cat BEFORE we moved to TV. Since we have been here he has not been outside. If he ever got out, I would be THANKFUL for Angie! You do a terrific job at reuniting and finding lost pets.

I am thankful for you!

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by rapscallion st croix

jeez. The lady is just asking like minded people to attend a meeting. Why is it necessary to put her through an inquisition?

ThANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[angiefox10]

Thank you... However, Lost Pets of The Villages is The Villages.

Remember Baby... She just got out.

Those people moved into The Villages two days before Baby got out. From the time we got the call until she was picked up, villagers were out there looking for Baby and making people aware that dog was missing. And it was a villager who drove the owner to go and get Baby.

The owner of Baby learned FAST what it's like to live in "the Friendliest hometown"

Villagers are the best people in the world. They just need to know what to do. We all learned together how to find a pet and now, when one of our pets get lost... everyone goes into action. They know what to do and they do it.

That group runs better every day. One day a dog will walk out of a house and someone will just know to pick it up and take it back. *kidding*

Lost Pets is almost 1,400 strong and growing every day. The bigger it gets, the faster we will get the pets back home.

Now... back to our regularly scheduled program.

Have you ever thought to yourself you wish you could save them all?

Well, you can. No Kill works. It is all abut the Spay/neuter.

Come to the meetings. Hear the stories that I am hearing . Documented stories. Learn... then you decide for yourself.

[Mrs. Robinson]

Why so much negativity on this thread?
All the OP and supporters want is for others to attend a meeting to make positive changes for homeless and lost pets.
One post said she would attend a meeting for neutering animals . . . But not attend a meeting to help lost and homeless pets???
Adopted pets are always neutered! That isn't the issue.
I didn't think the request was such a big deal but, obviously, to some, it has become a big deal.

Many of the comments and questions have been accusatory and negative.
They shouldn't be. This meeting is for a good cause.