Las Vegas Shelter Euthanizes 1,000 Animals

If the general public would properly care for their animals, tragedy's like this would not have to happen. Owner responsibility.

Spay and neuter, this is not just a slogan, it is really good advice. This prevents you from contributing to the issue of over-population. And some of you "macho men" out there think that neutering your dog will make him girley, have you ever heard of "little man syndrome?" You're probably a classic example and everyone that hears you say that knows it. They also have alternatives now for male dogs to be neutered then implants be put in to make them look unaltered if it really means that much to you.  (Lied requires ALL pets that are adopted from the shelter do not leave without being spayed/neutered) Next time you think about breeding your dog "just once" or "just one litter", bring your ignorant self to the Lied shelter on any given day, and tell me you'd rather bring more unwanted pets into this world than save one of them, who also is a product of "back-yard breeding". Unless you have a license as a reputable breeder, stop messing up natures balance! And why pay $1,500 for a "pure-bred" who is probably in-bred and unhealthy from a puppy mill, when you can support a good cause and give an unwanted pet a home? You may be surprised by how many "pure-breed" dogs end up at Lied, but people throw them away too, just like the "mutts". But they're all just dogs.

Vaccinate, again, not a ploy to break your bank, if everyone vaccinated their pets as they should, these disease out-breaks would be a rare thing of the past. (Lied offers discounted vaccines for all dogs/cats and vaccinats all pets that come through the shelter from off the streets) Not to mention that Lied does not discriminate against breeds, size, color, age or looks either. A pet in need gets sent to Lied. But without any identification, this dog or cat is yet another stray whose history is unknown, therefore there is no way to know if he/she has been vaccinated because the owner didn't spend the few bucks to get a tag on a collar or a micro-chip. There are tests that can be run that can tell them if the animal is a carrier of certain diseases, but not with 100% accuracy. So, all of you who love to judge out there, would you say lets kill those animals whom we don't know anything about because they may have a contagious disease? I didn't think so. So when that very same dog who came in with no tags and no vaccine history, who got tested for parvo and distemper and test results were negative, has now spread disease throughout the entire building because the test isn't 100% accurate, do you blame the Lied shelter? That would just be ignorant. And isn't it amazing how the world throws a fit when these animals are euthanized because of disease, and yet these very same dogs get abused, neglected and thrown away like garbage every day and no one has anything to say about that. Now that's just not fair. These shelters are there 24/7 for these pets and you need someone to blame? Look in the mirror, look around your neighborhood, look in your back yard.

Identification, putting tags on your dogs collar is not that difficult, nor is it expensive, same with micro-chips, yet it could mean the difference between you getting your dog back or not. And for those of you who do not care if your dog returns home or not, these dogs are better off at the shelter than with you or roaming the streets, you don't deserve pets anyway. (Lied implants all dogs/cats with a micro-chip)

Grooming/Bathing, keep in mind that they cannot just hop in the shower like us when they feel dirty, they cannot grab a brush when they have a mat, they can't tell you that their hair is not supposed to be cut (like some breeds). Brush your dog/cat, give him/her a bath now and then, look them over every once in a while, give them at least a little back of what they give you every day.

Training, for some reason there are people out there that actually believe that dogs are born human, that they are just supposed to "know" all the things you want them to do like stay, come and walk nicely on a leash. No, they don't just figure it all out in time, when you let go of the denial, you'll seek training. (Lied offers discounted training for those who adopt dogs) I am also a dog trainer and willing to work with all dogs with all problems.

They hold adoption events to find these abandoned pets homes, and yet they are fighting a losing battle. It seems like for each home they find for an animal, 5 more abandoned pets get dropped off at the shelter. Just go by there are look around.

Euthanasia, something we all hate to think about. But if these dogs/cats had been properly cared for from puppies up to adults, they would not be in this predicament. If everyone would vaccinate their pets as directed by their vet, disease would not spread. If you would train your dog, behavioral problems would not cause you to have to give them up or throw them in the yard. If you would spay/neuter your dog or cat, you wouldn't keep having litters that you can't find homes for, not to mention the behavioral and health benefits of spaying/neutering. But when disease ravages these already fragile dogs, it is the humane thing to do, would you rather let THEM suffer for what WE could have prevented?

Care, not just feeding your dog. Walking, training, grooming, interaction, love, playing, being a part of your family. If anything above seems like too much work or money for you and yet you have a dog, YOU are the problem. Your dog will probably end up at the Lied shelter or worse, it's a frustrating but true fact. So if all of PETA's volunteers want to come and adopt all of the animals that need homes, then maybe they would actually be helping this situation.