PLEASE SHARE: I had two lengthy telephone interviews today with one national reporter and one local journalist. They both called me out of the blue (separately and unrelated) and wanted to talk about some of the “hot topic” issues (euthanasia and no-kill versus open admittance) in Indian River County. I was as honest and fair as I could be, because one of the journalist had already spoken to Jacque Petrone at Halo and Chalmers Morse at the Humane Society of Vero Beach. I was in the most difficult position of defending both of them from each other, and then attacking (very nicely) both of them on behalf of each other. I’m sure you will see some of the articles or news reports from these interviews in the future but there is one issue I want to jump on and jump on very aggressively. While speaking to one of the journalists who had already spoken to Chalmers Morse, he relayed to me some “statistics” that Chalmers had told him over the phone. Specifically, a less than 19% “actual” euthanasia rate, because “feral cats don’t really count and are 19% of their overall euthanasia rate.” My response to him when he relayed what Chalmers told him: “Who says feral cats don’t count?” They do count!! The Humane Society can just tell the truth and say they don’t have much choice in euthanizing these feral cats, because of current local ordinances and their philosophical views on feral cats…BUT DON’T DARE SAY THEY DON’T COUNT. No one in Indian River County has either the legal or moral authority to say they don’t count. They DO COUNT. If we continue to disregard their (feral cat) euthanasia numbers, we deceive the public. The Humane Society does NOT have an “actual” or realistic euthanasia rate of less than 19%. This is simply not reflected in the official county records of Indian River County, as submitted by the Humane Society. The public has every right to petition its government to change laws, but they can’t evaluate the need to do that, if realistic numbers of “kill” are not being reported honestly or taken seriously. If the public believes that the Humane Society has a euthanasia rate of “less than 19%,” and the Humane Society assures them that it is lower than the national average, they will innocently assume that HSVB has everything under control and all is well in our county. That is simply not true. As the President of the SPCA of Indian River County, I do most certainly have both the legal and moral authority to say that feral cats DO COUNT. I will never stand by and allow their plight to be so quickly discarded or ignored. As a reminder, I have previously called for, and do so again, the resignation or removal of Chalmers Morse as the Executive Director of the Humane Society. I do not feel that this county can move forward, with making much needed and long overdue changes, with him in control of the majority of our county’s animals. The pictures above were both taken within the last 48 hours. One shows a feral kitten, who is obviously very sick, and the second one shows the same kitten at the Florida Veterinary League being treated and cared for. Today he was purring and being held and kissed by several veterinary staff members. Yesterday, he was feral and today is not. Yesterday, he didn’t “count” but today he does????? No matter if this kitten was humanely euthanized because he was a feral cat, or he was saved, he still COUNTS. His “number” is important in the overall conscious of our county’s residents. Don’t ever say he and cats like him “don’t count.” IMPORTANT NOTE: I fully acknowledge that this kitten (pictured) is a rare “save” for the SPCA. We cannot save 99% of the cats that we get calls about. We cannot save 99.9% of feral cats we get calls on. But no matter what, they ALL COUNT TO US. Van DeMars, (772) 501-5197, vanpdemars@aol or @vanpdemars (Twitter)
Posted on: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 02:28:10 +0000
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