This weekend, Midland Animal Shelter’s distemper crisis will end.
The ramifications, however, will impact the community for a long time. The City of Midland’s staff is expected to put down dozens upon dozens of animals, because of the severe viral dog illness. From Monday through Wednesday of next week, the shelter will be closed to give the shelter a thorough cleaning as is required when distemper is brought into a shelter.
The crisis will impact the processes put into place at Midland Animal Shelter. Moving forward, those animals picked up or dropped off will be tested to prevent a similar crisis. It will come at a cost.
There is also a cost of running an animal shelter in a community where pet ownership isn’t as high a priority as it needs to be. There is a cost to shelter staff which must put down animals through no fault of the animal itself. There is the cost of people believing (incorrectly) that the City of Midland is not doing its job. There is a cost of people who didn’t take the responsibility of pet ownership seriously – through the lack of vaccination, microchipping or spay and neutering -- and then impacting others.
We know of this recent distemper outbreak will require City of Midland officials to make more improvements to their processes. We also know there aren’t enough processes possible for the shelter if residents of our community don’t operate with the same sense of urgency.
Lowering the number of euthanized animals will happen in this community only when those taking ownership are serious about welcoming a dog or cat into their family. They must be cared for -- including vaccinated, microchipped and spayed or neutered – or a trip to an overpopulated animal shelter is basically guaranteed.
No matter what happens in our community and how much support the Midland Animal Shelter receives from the rescues in this town, the Midland Animal Shelter will only be successful if our community takes seriously the problem that exists with animal overpopulation.
For those who want more information about how things are going at Midland Animal Shelter, there are regular meetings of the Animal Services Advisory Committee that are open to the public. We welcome you to show up to get updated on metrics or best practices.
We also welcome people to participate in Rescue Runners or other worthy programs taking place at Midland Animal Shelter. Want to volunteer at the shelter? There’s likely a spot for you to earn community service hours as well.
But the most help people can give is to be responsible pet owners. That – more than anything - will prevent the euthanasia totals we have seen and are experiencing.
The City of Midland will continue to make the investments needed to improve the lives of the animals who must spend time in Midland Animal Shelter, but stopping the overpopulation of animals doesn’t start with the city, the council, rescues or those at the shelter. It starts with our residents, and the call to action must begin today.