For all their heroic and dogged efforts, volunteers and employees who have kept the private non-profit Animal Shelter of the Wood River Valley operating and expanding through private donations and modest government grants need a hand.
But is it time for a county-operated shelter as suggested by Bellevue City Councilman Steve Fairbrother, himself a veterinarian, and endorsed by the council?
The solution to handling more runaway or abandoned dogs and cats is likely a public/private partnership. The county should beef up the existing shelter with more public funds to create more facilities and staff, if needed. It should add staff to hire more animal control officers to handle animal complaints.
A check with the shelter indicates the intake and outgo of animals for adoption is fairly manageable and orderly—with perhaps six months the longest wait for an animal to be adopted. The average daily population of the shelter awaiting adoption is about 45 dogs and 40 cats.
The shelter is a "no-kill" operation. It does not routinely euthanize animals that haven't been adopted to make room for more animals. That's as it should be.
The Wood River Valley has had a long love affair with dogs. Owners and their canines are virtually inseparable—even on cross-country ski trails where Fido has his or her own ski pass. At least one area church has an annual Blessing of the Animals ceremony that's dominated by dogs. Many businesses allow employees to bring their dogs to work as part of company morale building, and some retailers thoughtfully provide watering stations for dogs while owners are shopping. And who hasn't delighted at the annual spectacle of owners and their pooches racing together in the shelter's Paw 'n' Pole benefit?
While the current shelter admittedly is more of a Humane Society-style operation, more discussion and study needs to be devoted to (a) the problems real or suspected of the growing household pet population and loose dogs, and (b) various solutions before rushing into a whole new public shelter.
Spending more public funds for animal control activities as well as expanded facilities is fully justified. It's part of the public service responsibilities of government, in addition to being a humane exercise that most in the community expect.
Government and non-profit operations can complement each other. As the area's population of humans and their pets grows, it is essential to assure long-term humane shelter operations for dislocated or abandoned animals.
The area's animal-friendly nature gives it a special quality of life advantage over other communities that show a disdain for pets. If it is not to be otherwise, plans to keep it that way should be made now.
