Animal Advocates 'AWAKE' To Reduce Animal Euthanasia

The Hillsborough Animal Health Foundation (HAHF) and the Hillsborough County Veterinary Medical Society (HCVMS) have announced a four-pronged program aimed to lower the county's euthanasia rate for unwanted pets.

The so-called AWAKE! program is an acronym that encompasses the program's four elements: Animal Welfare, Adoption, Kids and Education.

“As Hillsborough County continues to improve its animal control policies, focus on the adoption of pets to good homes is vital,” said Don Thompson, executive director of HAHF and owner of the Veterinary Center at FishHawk. “The overpopulation of pets will not be solved overnight, and this public service announcement is designed to help increase adoption rates in Hillsborough County.”

The public-service announcement he noted supports pet adoptions and features Genna and Buddy, two animated pets. The announcement premiered Aug. 8 and is scheduled to run for six weeks on Bright House and Verizon cable systems.

Veterinarians participating in the program, noted on the HAHF Web site, are offering free exams for any pet adopted from a local shelter or veterinarian. The exams, provided within seven days of adoption, are intended to ensure a clean bill of health for the newly adopted pet.

The program also is concerned with the management of feral cats. Feral cat advocates have suggested that the county fund a trap-neuter-release (TNR) program to address the challenge of what to do with thousands of homeless cats throughout the county.

That's a program the veterinary organizations simply can't support, Thompson said.

"As experts in both animal health and welfare, as well as their effects on public health, the veterinary community is unable to support any government-funded policy of TNR for feral cats in Hillsborough County," he said.

He noted that the Florida Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and the veterinary community believe that the release of thousands of cats each year into the environment endangers human health. He added that the veterinary community is also concerned about the health of pets, local native wildlife and the welfare of the cats themselves.

Instead, HAHF and HCVMS recommend an approach that combines increased adoption efforts, kitten programs, foster families and "limited scope sanctuaries" as an alternative to Trap, Neuter and Release programs. 

"The veterinary community wants to participate in a long-term solution that benefits all citizens of the community, including feral cats," said veterinarian Christy Layton, president of the HCVMS.

Needed, he added, is a "hybrid program" that "takes into consideration all the relevant concerns," and thus includes the principles of "trap, evaluate, neuter, vaccinate, adopt and contain."

To begin the process, the veterinary community will launch a pilot sanctuary project within the next few weeks, funded by contributions from local veterinary hospitals through the HAHF.

“Through the combined efforts of the cat rescue groups, animal services and the veterinary community, we can solve our feral cat challenge without endangering public health and other wildlife species,” Thompson said.

Reportedly, of the 21,000 animals the Hillsborough County shelter takes in each year, 14,500 are euthanized.

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The Hillsborough Animal Health Foundation was founded in 1987 by a group of Hillsborough County veterinarians to foster the human/animal bond and promote improved pet health and pet care through emphasis on pet owner education and the dissemination of pet information and timely, appropriate veterinary referrals.

The Hillsborough County Veterinary Medical Society is a not-for-profit association representing more than 200 veterinarians working in private and corporate practice, government, industry, academia and uniformed services.