Animal Control Awareness
By: Jessica James
Updated: March 1, 2007
Last year alone, the Caddo Parish Animal Shelter received nearly 13,000 animals. That's 15-35 a day. Over three quarters of them had to be put to sleep. Since January, the Bossier Parish animal shelter has taken in more than 400 pets. The Caddo Parish Animal Shelter spends nearly 1.5 million dollars taking care of homeless pets every year. Thousands were spent on euthanizing animals because they couldn't find homes.
As cute as they may be, pets are expensive to take care of. Veterinarian bills, food and everything in between can cost $200 to $500 a year. Bossier Parish Public Information Officer, Mike Natale says, "Make sure you are ready for the commitment and responsibility of having an animal. The animal control dispatcher answers 15-35 calls a day; everything from cruelty complaints to stray dogs and cats roaming the streets. Many of them have homes, but aren't wearing their tags. Which means your best friend could wind up in one of these shelters.
Brandon Daniel from the Caddo Parish animal shelter says, "Make sure it has an identification tag and a rabies tag. Make sure your dog wears a collar with a tag that has your number on it, so we can contact you if we end up picking up your dog." The bottom line? Don't buy or adopt an animal unless you are sure you can afford it. And if you do have a pet, be sure it is spayed or neutered.
As cute as they may be, pets are expensive to take care of. Veterinarian bills, food and everything in between can cost $200 to $500 a year. Bossier Parish Public Information Officer, Mike Natale says, "Make sure you are ready for the commitment and responsibility of having an animal. The animal control dispatcher answers 15-35 calls a day; everything from cruelty complaints to stray dogs and cats roaming the streets. Many of them have homes, but aren't wearing their tags. Which means your best friend could wind up in one of these shelters.
Brandon Daniel from the Caddo Parish animal shelter says, "Make sure it has an identification tag and a rabies tag. Make sure your dog wears a collar with a tag that has your number on it, so we can contact you if we end up picking up your dog." The bottom line? Don't buy or adopt an animal unless you are sure you can afford it. And if you do have a pet, be sure it is spayed or neutered.
