Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Each year, 30,000 cats and dogs are put to death in animal shelters, an anti-euthanization organization said.
Davis County was responsible for 21 percent of the euthanizations last year, followed by Utah County with 19 percent, said Holly Sizemore of No More Homeless Pets in Utah.
Third was Salt Lake County Animal Services, which covers Salt Lake City, Herriman, Taylorsville, Cottonwood Heights and unincorporated areas of the county, at 18 percent.
St. George Animal Control officer April McManus said the number of euthanized pets in the state is "ungodly."
"Some are healthy and completely adoptable animals," she said.
Shelter supervisors say they hate to euthanize animals, but sometimes there are just too many animals. And budgets are tight.
"It's a societal problem that requires a lot of resources," Sizemore said. "We need citizens to stand up and tell governments they want lifesaving programs."
Davis County sheriff's Lt. Ted Ellison is serving as interim director of the county's animal services.
He said the county is trying to reduce the number of euthanizations, but tight budgets and few employees keep the agency from achieving that.
Utah County, which garnered attention earlier this year for mistakenly euthanizing six dogs in its Spanish Fork shelter, puts down approximately 5,760 animals of the estimated 9,600 it impounds each year.
Salt Lake County Animal Services impounded 10,396 animals in 2005 and eventually euthanized about half of them.
Murray, Midvale, West Valley City, Draper, Bluffdale, Riverton, Sandy, South Jordan, South Salt Lake and West Jordan have their own shelters.
Dwayne Pryor left as Davis County animal control director in May after conflicts with county officials.
Pryor said he had heard about high euthanization rates and a lack of partnership with animal rescue groups in Davis County, so he knew he was going to have his hands full when he made the move from West Jordan to become director of the Davis shelter. He said that 4 1/2 months later, he was asked to resign.
County officials deny that.
However, Commissioner Alan Hansen said Pryor's resignation paved the way for the county to consolidate animal control with the sheriff's office.
Pryor said problems in the shelter's operation include that it is open for adoptions only from 1 to 4 p.m. on weekdays, and that it is somewhat hard to find.
Pryor said the adoption schedule almost discourages people from adopting, and he said he wasn't successful in lengthening the adoption window.
John Martin, a Bountiful veterinarian who runs Wasatch Humane, an animal-rescue group, said the county's shelter should be open eight to 10 hours a day and should be open on Saturday, traditionally the biggest day of the week for adoptions.
"They should be more flexible with their hours," Martin said.
Ellison said he doesn't have the manpower to extend adoption times. Hansen said the county lacks the funds for it.
------
Information from: Deseret Morning News, http://www.deseretnews.com
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
