Passing the Buck Policies at LBACS

LBACS' newest so-called solution to the animal homelessness problem in Long Beach consists of transporting shelter animals thousands of miles away out of Long Beach by plane to cities in states that supposedly need more animals to adopt out.

We often wonder how it is remotely possible that Long Beach animals aren't displacing needy animals in those other communities. 

And we wonder why it would be more desirable to put animals through a long, stressful plane trip rather than take them to a local adoption event to be adopted in our off-the-charts animal-loving city of more than half a million people.

Here's the perspective of some of the folks in these receiving communities.

"While Greenhill continues to turn away animals that are already living here; they keep importing dogs from California. No doubt these dog deliveries are planned, and they have to empty the kennel in preparation, keeping empty kennels unoccupied for who knows how long. Today Greenhill Road has 21 dogs. Eighteen of those dogs are imports. EIGHTEEN OF TWENTY-ONE. 

While I do not begrudge these dogs homes, by being able to continually export dogs, this keeps California from cleaning up its own mess, and deprives dogs already living here of assistance. If Greenhill were meeting the needs of animals already here in this community, then helping dogs from elsewhere would be more appropriate."

The fact is, it's easier to pass the buck to another city or state and expect others to do the work that is needed to save our community's animals. But that doesn't make it acceptable. We agree with the writer above - we don't begrudge the animals these homes, but there are more efficient, less expensive and less stressful ways to place animals in home locally, and that should be our animal shelter's Job 1. Especially if by sending our animals out, we're condemning other communities' animals to death.

Read more here: https://www.facebook.com/NoKillLaneCounty/posts/850824274991747

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