POSITION STATEMENT ON ANIMAL CONTROL & SHELTERS ã

Responsible Dog Owners of the Western States, and its affiliate Responsible Dog Owners of the Eastern States takes exception with animal control agencies labeling of dogs by breed for the purpose of negative profiling.  Animal control agencies are not qualified to make dog breed determinations. Animal control officers are not trained in breed recognition. Mislabeling of dog breeds skews statistics, and causes misinformation to be accepted as fact. 

RDOWS and RDOES opposes animal control agencies, and animal shelters importing animals from outside of the locale in which they are located. The animals are used to inflate intake figures, and euthanasia rates. These inflated figures are being used to point the finger of blame at, and to pass unnecessary legislation against local dog owners whose tax dollars, and license fees support these animal control agencies, and shelters. Tens of thousands of animals were transported out of the Gulf Coast to animal control agencies, and shelters all over the United States following the hurricanes Katrina, and Rita. Plane loads of animals are imported into the United States from China, Romania, Mexico, the Caribbean and elsewhere by animal control agencies, and shelters that are promoting the myth of pet overpopulation.

Responsible Dog Owners of the Western States, and its affiliate Responsible Dog Owners of the Eastern States request that cities, counties, and states to call for the following changes in protocols by animal control agencies, and by shelters that are supported by public funds;