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Basic care and handling bylaws should be enacted

Cats are prolific breeders and the numbers can swell quickly

Editor, The Record:

Re: Just leave the dog at home, please, Aug. 15 edition.

The recent editorial showcases acts perpetuated by senseless people and sadly, every year many local papers reiterate the same stories, with little to no remedy forthcoming.

Since 1995 I have advocated for animal rights, welfare and respect.

Unfortunately, in the Fraser Valley, too many people exhibit ignorant, indifferent behaviours in regards to leaving not only dogs in hot vehicles to suffer, but children too.

In the broader context, cats are prolific breeders and unaltered cats having litters and those litters having litters, can produce 420,000 kittens in seven years.

Today, the same dilemma of unwanted animals being euthanized exists unabated. The SPCA and other animal welfare/rescue groups are drastically under-funded and most receive no municipal or provincial funding and instead rely upon volunteers and donations.

The key contributors to the sad and ongoing travesty are first and foremost elected mayors and councillors who fail to establish effective basic care and handling, spay and neuter requirements, breeder permits and stringent fines and bylaws.

Compounding the problem, well-meaning volunteers sell animals for adoption at too high a cost, trying to recuperate their costs and at no fault to themselves, each time their full shelter refuses to take in additional cats, they exacerbate the inability to attract volunteers and donations.

The merry-go-round has continued for years by indifferent leaders, which is both sad and worrisome. There appears to be no remedy in sight, except repeating the same innocuous articles understating the problem, but moreso, overlooking its causes. Until people who can offer remedy step up, we will witness this travesty being continued as history has a tendency to repeat itself when solutions are not acted upon.

George F. Evens

Mission