Animal Advocates Watchdog
Houston animal shelter shoots animals, raises questions
Sgt. Charlie Seidl shot the animals Tuesday and says it's not something he wanted to do, but it had to be done.
Four cats and four dogs were shot at the Houston animal shelter Tuesday.
The city says an increase in the cost of euthanization led to the decision to shoot the animals.
The animals had been at the shelter since November.
by Rebecca Palsha
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
HOUSTON, Alaska -- Public outcry over the shooting of animals in Houston might lead to a change in policy on how to deal with an overcrowding shelter.
A Houston city police officer shot and killed eight animals at the local animal shelter Tuesday.
Officials say the animals were shot instead of euthanized because of a lack of money.
Sgt. Charlie Seidl is a police officer whose duties go beyond protecting the streets of Houston.
"It's not something I like doing and it's not something any other police officer or community service officer wants to do, but unfortunately it's something that has to be done," Seidl said.
What he did Tuesday was shoot and kill eight animals at the local shelter.
"I've had to do this in the past, but I don't know how many times," he said.
There were four cats and four dogs that had been at the shelter since November.
"I can understand why some people may be upset but I feel the means is humane. It was done lawfully; it was done humanely," he said.
Shelter volunteer Evelyn Rohr doesn't agree with the method.
"I was really sad," she said over the phone.
"I understand from the city's point of view, we're a city-run shelter. I really can understand that we can't keep animals forever; we're not a humane society or something like that, I just think there was a better way of doing it," Rohr said.
"We'll do whatever is needed to make sure it's done correctly," said Deputy Mayor Lance Wilson.
He says the problem is money. It used to cost $65 to euthanize an animal at the vet's office, but recently that price doubled.
"We only have so much money coming into the city for city services, so there had to be a tradeoff in services. Either we maintain roads, do plowing, fix roads in the spring during breakup or put more money in animal control," Wilson said.
"We had had the animals for a long time and there has to be time limit on a city-run shelter I didn't question that, I just questioned the method," Rohr said.
Wilson says shooting the animals instead of euthanizing them is a short-term solution.
He says once the city receives a certificate from the state to administer lethal injections that will be the preferred way to deal with overcrowding.
Contact Rebecca Palsha at rpalsha@ktuu.com
http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=11931022
Video and pictures at above link.
http://www.adoptafriend.net/houstonanimalprotection.html
Four cats and four dogs were shot at the Houston animal shelter Tuesday. (Phil Walczak/KTUU-DT)
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- Dogs, cats shot to death at Alaska animal shelter *PIC*
