CAT & DOG OVER-POPULATION CRISIS IN THE ANTELOPE VALLEY

Please sign and share this important Petition to show concern for this epidemic problem that affects or can affect each and every one of us anywhere in the Antelope Valley.  We need to go above the agencies that are supposed to protect and serve people and animals.  

We are asking for 1) more programs for free spay/neuter for not only the low-income, but also the rescues, 2) more grants for the rescues, 3) more staff at the animal shelters, which means help from the local government funding, 4) teamwork between the shelters and rescues, 5) quicker deceased or dying animal pick-up, 6) police to call animal control when doing raids where there are dogs, 7) liability of dog owners for all damages, 8) mostly WE NEED THE EXISTING ANIMAL LAWS ENFORCED!  Funds needed for more staff can be raised by enforcing the laws and citing the law breakers - leash laws, all bites and attacks, mandatory microchipping and spay/neuter, bust the illegal breeders or force them to qualify for a breeder's license where they can be monitored, hoarding, neglect, cruelty, etc.

This is where we are for 2022 & it looks like it may be worse for 2023:

• The lost & found groups are showing 10 times more lost, found, deceased, sighted, stray, feral, dumped, abandoned dogs and cats.
• The dog shelters are bursting at the seams, forcing them to practically give them away...with no house checks, so they'll probably be loose again soon thereafter.  They cannot go pick up dogs on complaints if not contained or accurate information provided.
• Very few are adopting animals right now which drives down the adoption fees, while the veterinary costs keep going sky high.  Rescues aren't helped with free spay/neuter programs, vouchers or discounts. 
• Bonafide animal rescues are also bursting at the seams, and when the shelter can't take them, they are going over their limits, over-stressed, unable to afford care without the help of community members.  We count on the adoption fees to operate the rescue.
• Then when 100's of stray and lost dogs and cats are found, with the trained and most efficient groups forced to turn these animals away, the general public takes them in.  Unfortunately, most of them are not legal fosters with a rescue, that will make sure there is an application, contract, home checks, follow-ups, and insurance that they will be fully vaccinated, microchipped, spayed/neutered and a 2-week stray hold done with diligent methods to reunite them with owners, and know how to deal with people who make false claims of ownership.  Most of these unknown and untrained finders end up "rehoming" them (which is not a rescue term used) for money, which is really SELLING, and they aren't being fixed by anyone.  They end up with breeders (if not fixed) or sold.  "Flipping" is a term for putting no money into them at all and then selling them for a lot of money.
• Weed grow busts are leaving behind numerous of hungry guard dogs, many of which were also being used for dog fighting and/or illegal breeding.
• Even the illegal dog breeders are suffering and can't sell their puppies or care for the parents, so are being dumped.  Each shelter has at least one.  They are running loose all over the place in horrendous weather that can destroy brachycephalic breeds.
• Many of these dogs, and even loose pet dogs, are attacking people (sometimes causing severe injuries and even death), children at school bus stops, causing accidents in the roads, damaging property

If we lose, children aren't safe anywhere but in the home.  Same with adults running errands.  Gone will be activities such as bicycling, dirt biking, riding horses, walking your dog, safety for our farm animals and pets that are constantly being killed, dragged off, seriously injured.  People will stop getting their animals fixed when we need this the most.  People are being mauled trying to protect their animals.  A woman this summer almost got her face & scalp ripped off.  Some have been killed.

If we win, we will all be safe.