Humane Society of the Palouse, Inc. -- Moscow, Idaho

FAQ

How many animals does HSOP handle each year? In 2004, we had 402 cats and 439 dogs come into the shelter. Of these pets, most are strays people have found, and many are owner surrenders. Several were left abandoned at the shelter, either in boxes or tied to our mailbox. A small number of animals are born in our shelter every year, as any animal that comes into our shelter in an obviously pregnant state is allowed to give birth, nurse, and wean her litter. The whole family is then spayed and neutered before adopting out.

What kinds of animals does HSOP take in? In addition to cats and dogs, we commonly take other small pets, such as guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters, and birds. Anyone who wishes to bring in a small animal for placement must bring the animal in a suitable living cage, with food, bedding, and water bottle. We have had a number of very strange animals that came in as strays, such as chickens, a pot bellied pig, and a goat. As we are not exactly set up to take in farm animals such as these, we ask that people needing to find homes for such animals place them privately, but when a city police officer shows up with a goat in the back seat of his cruiser, we make every effort to accommodate them.

How long does an animal "have" after being brought into the shelter? City codes require all dogs to be given 10 days, and Latah County requires only 3. Therefore, we hold dogs for either 10 or 3 days, depending on where the dog came from. If they are not claimed within this time, they will be vaccinated, spayed or neutered, and placed for adoption. Cats are more dependant on space available, though we try to give them about a week to be claimed before placing for adoption. As we are a no-kill shelter, all animals are given as long as they need to be adopted.

Do you euthanize, and why? We do not kill for space. We are occasionally faced with an animal who is sick, injured, or aggressive, and must decide if that animal can be rehabilitated or should be humanely euthanized. Since 2002, our average euthanasia rate for cats is 3.47%, and for dogs 2.46%. The most common reason for dog euthanasia is aggression. Any adult cat testing positive for feline Leukemia, a transmittable and fatal disease, is euthanized, but luckily this only amounts to a few a year. Most cat euthanasia is for "bottle baby" kittens who are either very sick or simply failing to thrive. Our staff works hard to save all that can be saved, and frequently takes kittens home for around-the-clock care, and it is very hard on all when a kitten, or any other animal must be put down.

What's the difference between a "no-kill" and an "open admissions" shelter? There are two opposing schools of thought on the best way to handle homeless animals. Neither way is perfect, and they both have their downfalls. An open admission shelter takes all animals in all the time. Since space is limited, this means that an OA shelter must euthanize one animal to make space for another. How they decide who stays and who goes varies from shelter to shelter. Usually, it's based on how adoptable they think an animal is, considering age, overall health, friendliness, and the difficult to qualify cuteness factor. On the upside, more animals get taken care of, one way or another. On the downside, such an attitude places higher value on one life than another, and perpetuates the notion animals have a lower value overall. A no-kill shelter does not operate this way. As a result, most no kill shelter must place limits on the animals coming into the shelter. For instance, once we reach a certain population of animals in the shelter, we start placing owner surrender animals on a waiting list. Our theory behind this is that the owner of the unwanted animal has primary responsibility for rehoming that animal. We do all we can to help them place the animal, but they simply have to wait until we have room before bringing the animal in to the shelter. We feel that all animals are valued equally, and should be given every possible opportunity to find a loving home. However, some have argued that the waiting list simply leaves people with no choice but to abandon the unwanted animal, making it someone else's problem, or dooming that animal to a short life of suffering.

Do you sell animals that aren't adopted to a university for research? Absolutely not. HSOP has never done this, and never will. We also do not shift our long-standing animals off to other shelters where they may be killed or sold.

How many animals are returned to their rightful owners after coming into the shelter?

How do you go about finding an animals owner? With luck, the lost pet will be wearing a collar with current identification and contact information. We also have a microchip scanner, and scan all animals as they come into the shelter. A microchip is a permanent identification that is injected just under the skin above the shoulders. The device is about the size of a grain of rice, and cannot be felt or seen through the skin. Many animals, particularly dogs, are well known by staff and visitors. Many dogs, and most cats, however, come in with no form of identification. In these cases, we simply hope an owner calls or stops by to inquire.

I've found a stray animal, what do I do with it? Call the shelter first. We may already have a description of the wayward pet on file, and can get you in touch with the owner right away. If there are no matching reports, we will probably tell you to bring the animal into us. If you for some reason are unable to bring the animal to us, the city of Moscow police department will pick up stray dogs within the city limits and bring them to us.

What do you require in order for a person to adopt an animal? We require a picture ID, proof of address, and if you rent we must see a copy of your lease showing that you may have pets where you live. Beyond that, we have an application that must be completed, including a contract outlining the requirements of ownership and level of care we expect for our animals. There is an adoption fee.

Why so strict? As a no kill shelter, our job is to find the best home for our animals, not simply the first home that comes along. Our first duty is to make sure that the animal you have chosen is a good fit for your lifestyle. This community has a high percentage of rental housing units, and many do not allow pets. We have been asked by several property management companies not to adopt animals to their tenants, and to foster positive relations between HSOP and property owners, we have agreed. In the state of Idaho, an animal that is on rental property without permission basically becomes the property of the land owner, and that owner can do with the animal whatever they wish, including destroying that animal. Unfortunately, many people do not see the risk to the adopted pet in this situation, and go to some lengths to adopt a pet anyway. HSOP does reserve the right to refuse adoption to anyone if we feel the adoption is not in the best interests of the animal.

Everybody else in my apartment has cats/the landlord will never find out, etc. That may be true, but it doesn't change our position. IF the landlord does find out, the adopted animal is at risk. Our policies exist to protect the wellbeing of our animals, and we will stand by them.

What is your view on declawing?

We believe there are, in almost all cases, better options. "Declawing can leave cats with a painful healing process, long-term health issues, and numerous behavior problems," says the Humane Society of the United States in their article "Declawing Cats: More Than Just a Manicure." We always ask people to give the cat a chance to live with whole paws before resorting to amputation. In addition, there's a wonderful product called Soft Paws. This product is little plastic nail caps that glue on over the natural nail, similar to fake nails for people. The caps prevent sharp claws from scratching skin or snagging in furniture and drapes. That said, we realize that some people will, for numerous reasons, only keep declawed cats. We will not refuse to adopt solely because a person chooses to declaw. We may, however, steer you towards cats whose temperaments are least likely to suffer ill effects, such as aggression, from the surgery.

Who pays for the animal shelter, where does the money come from? The building we operate is owned by the City of Moscow, but the Humane Society of the Palouse is a separate entity. The city allows us use of the building, and pays to maintain the structure. The city also pays us a monthly "wage" as compensation for handling the stray animal needs of Moscow. Latah County pays a smaller cash amount to take in stray dogs from outside the city limits. City and County revenue comes from taxation, and combined pay about 1/4 - 1/3 of our total annual operating expenses. There is no state or federal funding available to us. We also earn income from our adoption and boarding fees. The majority of our annual income is from fundraising efforts and private donations.

*All adoptable (healthy and good-tempered) and treatable animals are adopted and euthanasia is reserved only for those animals who cannot be rehabilitated or have terminal illnesses or injuries.