Students surrender pets back to animal shelter
Numbers rise at Spring Break and end of semester
By: Kristin Zoller
Issue date: 3/6/08 Section: News
Last March an SFA student brought her small dog to the Nacogdoches Animal Shelter to surrender it on the Thursday or Friday before Spring Break. The student told Jennifer Harris, Nacogdoches Animal Shelter supervisor, that she was going to South Padre and didn't have anywhere to keep the dog while she was gone. Harris asked her if she understood the shelter was not a boarding facility, and the girl said yes, but said she didn't want to spend money on one. The girl was told there was a possibility her pet could be put down while she was on vacation.
"It didn't even faze her," Harris said. The girl never came back to get her pet.
"It's really sad when an animal goes from living in a home to living in a shelter," Harris said. "(The animals) think they've done something wrong, but they haven't; it's just the irresponsibility of the owners."
Last year after graduation, a student's family came in to surrender their daughter's pet because they didn't know she had adopted one and wouldn't allow it to come home. Harris made the family bring the girl to the shelter herself and sign the paperwork to surrender her pet.
Last May 550 animals were surrendered. This number is double the number surrendered in February or March. Harris said this increase is due to graduation.
"Some people treat animals like books at the library. They check it out, and if it doesn't work, they turn it back in," Tommy Wheeler, environmental health manager with the City of Nacogdoches, said.
To help ensure students do not surrender their pets at the end of each semester, the shelter has recently implemented a new policy. They are requiring students to get the approval of their parents to make sure the adopted animal will be welcome at home over school breaks and holidays.
"Calls flood in at the end of a semester for pets that were left at apartment complexes," Harris said.
If a person lives in an apartment and decides he or she wants to adopt a pet, that person must first supply proof to the animal shelter that a pet deposit has been made at their apartment complex.
"It didn't even faze her," Harris said. The girl never came back to get her pet.
"It's really sad when an animal goes from living in a home to living in a shelter," Harris said. "(The animals) think they've done something wrong, but they haven't; it's just the irresponsibility of the owners."
Last year after graduation, a student's family came in to surrender their daughter's pet because they didn't know she had adopted one and wouldn't allow it to come home. Harris made the family bring the girl to the shelter herself and sign the paperwork to surrender her pet.
Last May 550 animals were surrendered. This number is double the number surrendered in February or March. Harris said this increase is due to graduation.
"Some people treat animals like books at the library. They check it out, and if it doesn't work, they turn it back in," Tommy Wheeler, environmental health manager with the City of Nacogdoches, said.
To help ensure students do not surrender their pets at the end of each semester, the shelter has recently implemented a new policy. They are requiring students to get the approval of their parents to make sure the adopted animal will be welcome at home over school breaks and holidays.
"Calls flood in at the end of a semester for pets that were left at apartment complexes," Harris said.
If a person lives in an apartment and decides he or she wants to adopt a pet, that person must first supply proof to the animal shelter that a pet deposit has been made at their apartment complex.
Viewing Comments 1 - 8 of 8
Anne
posted 3/06/08 @ 4:20 PM CST
I think it's despicable for students to adobt a pet and then give it up to be euthanized when they don't feel like taking care of it. If that is how they treat a pet then how will they treat a child? If you say that those are two different things you are wrong. (Continued…)
giovanni flores
posted 3/07/08 @ 4:25 AM CST
At some point people must take responsibility for their pets. Dogs and cats do not choose to be taken home and then cast aside when they become inconvenient. (Continued…)
Martin
posted 3/10/08 @ 11:59 PM CST
It is too bad that these pets can't surrender their owners over to a daycare center or a mental institution.
Martin
Cord
posted 3/12/08 @ 9:32 AM CST
I adopted a 1 year old black lab in 2002 from the Nacogdoches animal Shelter....Ace is still with me to this day and has been such a great factor in my life. (Continued…)
Jerry Williams
posted 3/16/08 @ 10:39 PM CST
Would you send me a listing of possibly cheap places to get a female pet neutered?
mike
posted 3/17/08 @ 7:58 AM CST
I adopted a dog form a rescue shelter, it it is hands down the best dog i have ever had. It is a shame when somone puts partying in front of an animals life, what type of human being and productive member of society is this person going to be in the future. (Continued…)
Diana
posted 3/24/08 @ 7:32 AM CST
My first cat was a student cast away. I was a senior in college and this starving and sickly cat was walking along the curb unaware of the traffic going by her. (Continued…)
Hilary
posted 3/24/08 @ 3:02 PM CST
Well it's ABOUT TIME that they did something about the SFA students adopting pets!! Irresponsible students are the MAIN reason that there are so many stray colonies of cats in this area!!
I have a couple of kitties that I have rescued and adopted that were starving and pregnant. (Continued…)
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