Save the Puppies!
August 21, 2011 - 7:22pm / swilliams@crnc.org
Three Republicans, Dave Deweese, Sam Fiocchi & Suzanne Walters (all running for State Senate & State Assembly, respectively), in the first district of New Jersey are urging Governor Christie to not sign into law current State Senator Jeff Van Drew’s Quick Animal Kill Bill. The bill outlines that animals can be immediately destroyed when brought to a shelter instead of upholding the current seven-day waiting period until destroying an animal. The seven-day waiting period allows for many lost pets to be reclaimed by owners or for homeless animals to be adopted. The justification for this bill is to end a suffering animal’s misery, if they are badly hurt. There is a problem with this justification, though. What if someone in a shelter decides that because a dog or cat is very old that the animal should be destroyed? Suzanne Walters, one of the Republicans against the bill, described her experience with a sweet, loving dog that would have been destroyed under the provisions in the Van Drew bill, but was saved because of the seven-day period currently in place.
“I met a dog named Sugar at the Cape May County shelter. Sugar was nearly dead when brought in. She was nursed back to health and gave love and companionship to the shelter workers for many months before she died of natural causes. The quick-kill bill would have robbed Sugar and the staff at the shelter of that time together.”
In conclusion, this bill would only lead to more termination of helpless animals.
