My name is John DeWispelaere. I am the manager of the Everett Animal Control and Shelter. Our department has recently been criticized for our euthanasia policies. These policies were the focus of an April 3 article, in the “My Life” section of The Herald (“Dog denied chance for home”). I believe that the article should have been properly placed in the editorial/opinion section.
The Herald neglected to allow any input from Everett Animal Control. My experience is that there are at least two sides to every story. The Herald must have known that this was a controversial subject that demanded more scrutiny.
The Everett Animal Control is not an animal welfare organization. Our first mandate, as stated in our mission statement, is to encourage, secure and enforce those animal control measures deemed necessary for the protection of human health, safety and welfare. We recognize and consider that animal issues evoke deep emotional responses in most human beings. Our decision to euthanize the husky/chow mix dog referred to in the article was not based on emotion. The dog exhibited behaviors that made it particularly dangerous to small children. The recent incident in California should be an alert that animal problems are serious problems which must be assessed and acted on by those with authority, knowledge and experience. Our decisions are often difficult to make, but I believe they favor public safety.
In 2001, the Everett Animal Shelter placed 3,118 total dogs and cats in local homes. An additional 1,096, were reunited with their owners.
Unfortunately, the shelter took in 7,953, dogs and cats. The next largest shelter in Snohomish County took in a total of 4,619. Private no-kill shelters have adopted intake policies which allow for unacceptable animals to be referred to local public shelters, like the Everett Shelter. Of those 7,953, only 2,785, came in from the City of Everett. The majority came from unincorporated Snohomish County.
The Everett Animal Shelter exists to be criticized only because the City of Everett is the only governmental entity within Snohomish County to attempt to offer some solutions to a regional problem.
Everett
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