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My 8-year-old cocker spaniel, Princess, is a very lucky girl, as is her sister, a charming songbird barely six months old named Tweety. Both were rescued while my family still lived in New York. My mother discovered Princess tied to a post — abandoned — when she was a scrawny shy puppy, barely a few months old. For hours, my mother crossed her path, waiting anxiously for her to be retrieved by an owner. When no one came, Princess became ours and let me tell you — it was love at first sight! Tweety, on the other hand, found us. Peeking her little head out from a bush, a cry for help got our attention. Malnourished, she lacked the strength to fly, and with bright yellow feathers, the little bird was easy prey for predators. My mother took her in.

Call me a bleeding heart, but I’ve come to discover that Princess and Tweety are among the lucky ones. The unfortunate truth is that anywhere from 15,000 to 20,000 animals, primarily dogs and cats, end up in Marion County’s landfill each year. Nationally the number reaches a staggering 15 million!

How can it be that millions of people discard their family pets as easily as common trash? How is it possible that the state of Florida was forced to pass a law making animal abuse, abandonment and cruelty a felony offense — a major crime equal to burglary or assault?

According to the Animal Center’s Director Jill Lancon and Supervisor Wendy Hillyard, the target problem areas are strays, dense population areas, problem neighborhoods, animal collectors and owner surrenders. Of the 10,582 animals euthanized in Marion County last year, 716 were paid requests by owners because the animal was sick or old, brought to the Animal Center because it is considerably less expensive than a veterinarian. Duly noted, that leaves 9,866 animals otherwise destroyed.

Barbara Stanton, co-director of the Humane Society of Marion County (HSMC) states, “It happens because of indiscriminate breeding.” She also relates that puppies and kittens that grow older are sometimes unwanted. There is a tendency for people to take in animals that are valued only as a material item to be treated as inanimate objects rather than living, breathing creatures that deserve love and a lifetime home.

Michael Waddell, co-director of the HSMC states, “We are a very mobile society… when pet owners move or travel frequently, pets are the ones that suffer. Having pets is like having children. You wouldn’t wait until two days before leaving to decide what to do with the children, so why do it to the dog or the cat?”

When animals are left behind, more often than not, it is Marion County Animal Control, or their companion facility which Marion County Animal Shelter (Animal Center), who are responsible for collection. By law, they hold the animals for three days, but if the animal is not reclaimed, they make the determination to either put the animal up for adoption or to euthanize it.

One determining factor in this decision is the animal’s health. Many animals, whether they’re picked up or dropped off, enter the system in such poor condition that they pose a threat to society (rabies, salmonella, even temperament) or it is not “humane” to allow them alive when they are suffering from an incurable disease (cancer, feline HIV).

“We cannot, in good conscience, adopt an animal into a family when we suspect there may be a problem,” Stanton explains. “So we screen for aggression and health concerns. Depending on the severity of the problem, we believe it is more humane to euthanize those animals then to try to rehabilitate them.”

The sheer volume of pets that Stanton must process is another part of the problem — pet overpopulation. Animals left by the wayside follow their natural instinct, which next to foraging for food, includes breeding. How many of you have been in a restaurant parking lot only to notice cats slinking around, searching for food? These abandoned animals that are lucky enough to find sustenance, will strive to find mates.

To combat pet over-population, in 1988 the Animal Center developed an innovative mobile spay/neuter clinic called the Neuter Commuter. Animals can be “fixed” for as little as $5 per animal — never more than $25, depending on the animal (exotics are a different story). This is a terrific program when you consider the alternative; the average cost through a vet is $100 to $150. To date, Lancon and Hillyard say they’ve done 36,915 surgeries, 60 percent of which were female.

Consider this: If those 22,149 females had not been spayed, and given that female dogs produce two litters a year averaging four puppies, that would have produced 177,192 dogs without homes — not calculating the puppies growing up and having puppies.

Another population control measure offered by the Humane Society is spay and neuter certificates ($50 for dogs; $30 for cats), which can be used at a number of participating veterinarians within Marion County. Stanton explains that it is the first phase of a plan that includes a fully-staffed clinic that will offer more low-cost options.

PET OVERPOPULATION is only one-third of the equation. Abandoned and abused animals are the other two-thirds. What constitutes an abandoned or abused animal? “You will most likely get an argument from pet owners surrendering an animal that they are not abandoning their pets by bringing it to a shelter,” Stanton says. “They associate abandoning their pet by leaving it along side the road.”

Carol Cichy, cruelty investigator for Animal Control, explains that Florida recognizes overt intentional acts, such as wounds, mistreatment and intentional killing, as felonies. Neglect, such as failure to provide food, water, shelter and medical care, is considered a misdemeanor.

Waddell says, “In most instances the abuse is not providing adequate shelter… more of an education process and measures are taken to follow up that people are taking proper care of their animals. Many people don’t factor weather change when putting the dog out in 60 degree temperature which rises to 90 degrees while the owner is at work. It always comes down to personal responsibility.”

Lancon provides another common form of ignorant neglect. “People don’t realize the importance of changing the size of collars for their animals as they grow.” Cichy adds, “Currently we have a dog which as a puppy probably had a rope tied around its neck, now as an adult, required surgery to remove the infected imbedded rope leash.”

Are there solutions to owner education?

Absolutely. Lancon explains, “Our goal is to educate the public on responsible pet ownership. Train their animals to be good citizens and good household family members. People are quick to get pets because they are cute puppies and kittens but as they grow behavior problems associated with adolescence develop. Instead of learning about the problem and how to deal with it … they choose to dump the problem. The majority abandoned at 10 months to 14 months — when they come into heat. Animals in heat become unruly, constant barking or loud meowing, destructive to their environment — chewing shoes or scratching furniture, until they can satisfy their urges.” Lancon informs that 1400 of the animals destroyed last year were reportedly due to these behavioral problems.

Hillyard adds, “It isn’t that owners do not care about handling their pets — it’s more that they don’t know how.” People should learn about the breeding behavior of dogs and cats. Female dogs are in heat basically twice a year. Female cats remain heat as often as they need to until they are pregnant. In colder climate it is less frequent so they don’t have their litters when it is cold. In Florida’s climate it doesn’t slow down very much — cats are in heat relatively all year. In 2006, cats are already two litters in and it is only spring. Worse in spring, kitten season won’t taper off until late fall or early winter. Female cats want to be pregnant and they are persistent about their role.

The Humane Society of the United States, parent company for HSMC, encourages communities to create a Safe Havens for Animals program that provides temporary sheltering options for pets. HSMC offers the program, often for animals used in evidence against owners being prosecuted, evident in the recently reported Koogler case, the couple accused of 10 counts of neglecting their animals in their SW Ocala home. Four cats and two dogs were discovered dead in various stages of decomposition after neighbors complained of the odor. The home was found in disarray. Amazingly, a dog and a cat were found malnourished but alive.

IT IS A TRAGEDY that so many animals end up in landfills. It is the responsibility of pet owners to change that. If 10,000 animals per year are being put down is disturbing to you, consider here’s what you can do: (1) Spay or neuter your animals, at $25 at the Animal Center’s Neuter Commuter or at Humane Society prices with certificates that can be received at the Thrift Store. (2) Donate to the Humane Society — the more support received by the community, the more capacity they have.

The Animal Center states prevention isn’t only kinder — it’s cheaper. Rounding up homeless animals, housing them, euthanizing them and disposing of their bodies cost U.S. taxpayers about $2 billion per year. In 2005, Marion County Animal Center destroyed 10,582 dogs, cats, puppies and kittens which were 74 percent of the 15,258 animals that came into the center. Of the remaining animals, 1,139 were returned to owners, 3,121 were adopted, 11 were rescued, 11 were livestock sold by the sheriff and 323 went to foster care. It costs Marion County taxpayers $94 for each animal picked up, housed, euthanized or adopted, or only $59 to spay/neuter, vaccinate and de-worm them at the mobile clinic. If 2500 animals are spay/neutered at the mobile clinic per year, Marion County’s pet population could be reduced by 332 million over 6 years.

For more information see www.humansocietyofmarioncounty.com. On May 14, Marion County will have a disaster preparation presentation to which the Animal Center will contribute an education component, including their Pet Friendly Shelter provision at Vanguard High School. Learn about these and other programs at www.marioncountyfl.org/services