In the article Feral Cat Trap, Neuter, Return Program from examiner.com and written by Julie Perrill on October 20, 2013, she discusses the overpopulation of stray cats wandering the streets and how it would be helpful if everyone were able to trap the feral cats, have them altered, and then release them back into the environment. Julie claims that this will reduce the colonies of stray cats as they will not be able to reproduce. She also states that the stray cats will help control snake and rat problems and keep other unaltered feral cats away. I do not agree with her idea or opinions on the subject. Julie has no studies or data on the subject to back up these statements and leads me to believe her information to lack credibility and validity.
The American Veterinary Medical Association feels that there are professional, ethical, and legal dilemmas of the trap-neuter-release (TNR) program. The professional dilemma deals with the lack of professional training in the biological, ecologic, and wildlife sciences of the groups involved with TNR programs. The Wildlife Society has spent over two years developing its policy on feral and free-ranging cats and it clearly defines the problems associated with this. Well-fed feral cats still have the instinct to hunt and eat. Birds and other wildlife caught by cats but not killed, usually parish later of their wounds. Feral cats may keep the rodent situation under control but the wildlife population that rely on those rodents as a food source ultimately pay the price and may succumb to an early end due to the lack of food supply, this includes adults and their offspring. The ethical dilemma produced is that veterinarian, animal control municipalities, and local city ordinances do...
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...e also demonstrates the slippery slope fallacy in a way that she continues to write in her article how to get traps and trap feral cats, this continues the actions she started in her statements. Being in the animal care industry and a Certified Veterinary Technician for 24 years and have worked for county animal care and control facilities I find that the TNR programs have many flaws and are not the solution to the stray cat problem. Unfortunately many of these cats released back into the wild still struggle with disease, starvation, predation, and injuries which I do not believe is a better quality of life as Julie thinks.
Works Cited
Perrill, J. (2013, October). Feral Cat Trap, Neuter, Return Program!. Examiner, (1-2).
Barrows, DVM, PhD, DACVPM, P.L. (2004, November). Professional, ethical, and legal dilemmas of trap-neuter-release. JAVMA, 225(9), 1365-1369.
Some captive species even have problematic changes in reproduction such as not be able to reproduce anymore (Lynn 1817). These changes in behavior and high cost are a major factor in whether these programs are sophisticated and whether the animals can be reintroduced into the wild and if it would benefit their
Weeks, P., & Packard, J. (2009). Feral hogs: Invasive species or nature. Human Organization, 68(3), 280-292. Retrieved from http://wk4ky4tk9h.scholar.serialssolutions.com.library.esc.edu/?sid=google&auinit=P&aulast=Weeks&atitle=Feral Hogs: Invasive Species or Nature's Bounty?&title=Human organization&volume=68&issue=3&date=2009&spage=280&issn=0018-7259
As a great deal is being done to help endangered wildlife as well as animals in general, there is still a considerable amount of improvements to make. “The exterminating of predators by governments or individuals is wrong-headed, extremely selfish, cruel and the very worst example of wildlife management. It is failed management. In today's backwards and upside-down world, our wildlife needs our protection, not extermination” (Pitt). We need to instill the good values of animals in today’s society so that we may work towards better maintenance of the future lives of these animals. Instead of mounting an animal’s head on the wall as a prize and reducing wildlife population, we should be proud of the variety of species we have on earth and leave them to live free.
Making it a law to have animals spayed or neutered is somewhat of an easy fix. When a cat or dog comes into a vet’s office to get their shots, like all require, the vet can keep said animal and fix them themselves. All these procedures need to be paid for however, so in order for owners to get their pets back they must pay the costs of the operation. If all cats and dogs are fixed however, this would come to an end of all dogs and cats. So to keep the animals regulated but not extinct, only certified breeders could have animals that are not spayed or neutered. This would work to an extent, but people would try and get around it and just not take pets to vets, leading to more sickly animals. And...
Throughout the world, wild cats, reptiles and primates live peacefully in their natural habitats. Despite this, every year more and more of these exotic animals are becoming domestic pets. Keeping exotic animals as pets is unsafe and should therefore be made illegal. They pose as a risk of injury, disease and are an invasion the natural environment. Some people believe that keeping a pet does not pose a risk if properly kept and trained. However, these arguments are not corroborated by the information available. Keeping exotic animals as pets is dangerous, and should be made illegal in Canada.
Years ago, killing animals for food was part of the average man’s everyday life. While, now a days, hunting is questioned by many across the world because it is commonly viewed as a recreational activity. Many residents have a problem with the dangers that come with hunting. Not to mention, as time goes on, society seems to feel differently about animals and how they should be treated. One of the biggest debates is the harvest of white tailed deer. All over the United States, white tailed deer thrive because of the few predators that feast upon them and the large forests and habitats that these deer can flourish in. However, as buildings and subdivisions pop up left and right decreasing the white tailed deer natural habitat, the debate grows stronger. The heart of the debate is centered around ethical issues, human and deer conflicts, safety, and the benefits hunting has on the economy.
Warren, Mary Anne , and Mappes and D. DeGrazia. "On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion." Biomedical Ethics 4th (1996): 434-440. Print.
The growing issue of the welfare of wild animals has called for immense concerns for multiple reasons. Even so, more now today with the recent animal related incidents that have taken place and publicized in social media and broadcasted
rodent infestation of storage facilities or the recycling of rotten hams and meat scraps. If
Pets are a common sight in many households today. In fact, according to the APPMA National Pet Owners Survey, 63 percent of U.S. households own a pet. At the top of this percentage are dogs and cats. One of the most important decisions an owner of a dog or cat has to make is whether or not to get them spayed or neutered. There are various reasons why people choose to not have this done, but all those reasons can be proven invalid. Many factors come in to play as why this is such an important thing to do. The effects of dogs and cats not being spayed or neutered has become such a major issue that it should be a law that all pet owners have to get their pet spayed or neutered.
Robert Matz; Daniel P. Sudmasy; Edward D. Pallegrino. "Euthanasia: Morals and Ethics." Archives of Internal Medicine 1999: p1815 Aug. 9, 1999 .
"Pet Overpopulation : The Humane Society of the United States." RSS. The Humane Society of
In defense of Animals, “The Animal Reasurch Industry Needs More Oversite.” Animal Experimentation San Diego, California. 2002.99-105. Print.
Waples KA, Stagoll CS. Ethical issues in the release of animals from captivity. Roundtable. 1997; 115-120.
...ue to volunteer at this shelter, and will attempt to raise awareness in our community of the importance of Mt Pleasant and similar organizations. By combining all three solutions, we can reduce the occurrence of animal abuse. My solution to end the issue of animal abuse is to use both Siebert’s and the A.S.P.C.A.’s proposed solutions, along with volunteering at animal rescue facilities.