Guest View – The opinion of Andrea Bentson
On a recent Sunday on my way to work, I came across a happy,
playful black-lab mix running in and out of the road. Little did he
know that he came very close to death and was almost hit by a semi.
Although I was on my way to work, I could not leave him to this
fate. I would hope someone would do the same if it were my pet.
Guest View – The opinion of Andrea Bentson
On a recent Sunday on my way to work, I came across a happy, playful black-lab mix running in and out of the road. Little did he know that he came very close to death and was almost hit by a semi. Although I was on my way to work, I could not leave him to this fate. I would hope someone would do the same if it were my pet.
Unfortunately, this very friendly dog had no collar, and being Sunday, the shelter was closed. My family took him in, showing him the same love that we have for our own two dogs that have been cherished members of our family for many years. He was very affectionate and really bonded with my 13-year-old son who named him “Oliver.”
This dog touched our hearts and I knew someone must be missing him greatly. My son and husband dropped him off Monday at the shelter and this is where the story gets a little sad, well actually, very sad. Although it was a painful lesson in reality, it is a story that needs to be told. I, like many hard working professionals in Hollister, had no idea how bad the situation at the animal shelter was.
I would like to commend all of the hard working employees at the shelter who must put down many Olivers every day. I am an emergency room nurse and deal with death and dying as a part of my job, but I honestly don’t think I could do what they do. At least my patients have a voice so someone can hear their cries of pain and sadness. These abandoned animals didn’t ask to be here; they are innocent victims of a severely overburdened system, that for all intent and purposes seems to be failing them and failing them in very bad way.
The Hollister shelter, at no fault of the hard working employees, puts down a very high number of animals compared to the majority of shelters in California. This is largely due to the severe lack of space and extreme shortage of staff. Hollister has grown a great deal since the shelter was initially built and little has been done to update it or enlarge it to accommodate the growing number of abandoned animals.
Within eight days, if an animal has not been claimed or adopted, it is killed. There are rescue programs but I have discovered that they are few in number, lack volunteers and are already over burdened with unwanted pets. Unlike many surrounding communities, Hollister does not have an SPCA or Humane Society. The number of animals killed is staggering and I learned we have a poor reputation when it comes to adopting animals out compared to many other communities in Northern California and the state as a whole.
The shelter is unable to be open at lunch, in the evening or on weekends to facilitate adoptions for working individuals. This is due to staffing. Many other shelters are open later and for several hours on weekends to facilitate adoptions. Friends and neighbors I spoke with told me they frequently adopt from other neighboring shelters because the Hollister shelter is not open after work or on weekends.
The kennels are very small, the temperatures are extreme and there is very little time for staff to exercise animals due to its heavy workload. An animal usually spends its last couple of days trapped in a small cage before being put down. I spoke with a number of people who used to volunteer at the shelter and they advised me that they became frustrated and depressed with the situation so they stopped volunteering.
Although I had rescued this loving dog from a potentially horrible fate, I couldn’t help but think I had rescued him only to be put down because our system is so overburdened and basically broken. I didn’t sleep that night nor did my son. I called every day to find out if his owners had come to claim him. There is a happy ending to this story after all. Julie, who works at the shelter, called me two days later and told me the family had come in to claim Oliver. We were overjoyed!
Thank you Julie for all your hard work! I did not write this to offend or blame anyone, only to share my experience with others who may not have known the desperateness of the situation. I hope it will encourage others to get involved and help these animals that just want a loving home and have no voice. It has to be more of a priority in our community. If the Senate can pass a bill regarding the evacuation of pets during disaster because so many people refused to leave their pets behind, then we as a community can surely come together to improve our seriously outdated and overburdened shelter.
The Redevelopment Agency is currently working hard to build a desperately needed shelter but it keeps getting pushed back due to budget constraints and zoning laws. I realize we have a shortage of funds and many other issues facing our city, but so do many other cities and somehow they find the resources and the ingenuity to improve their abandoned pet problem. Let your city council members know that this is an important issue that needs to be addressed. Call the shelter and other local rescue groups to see what you can do. Together if we all do something, no matter how big or small, we can make a difference just as many other communities around us have and save our abandoned pets from such a horrible plight.
