Keep Tabs on Pet to Avert Tragedy

By ELAINE ROSE Staff Writer, (609) 272-7215, E-Mail

Kitty's story is a tragedy. But what happened to the 4-year-old
Galloway Township cat could have been prevented.
When Tammy Oakes moved in with her boyfriend two years ago, Kitty
came with her. Her boyfriend, Lee Leopardi of Galloway Township, came
to love Kitty, too.

Kitty was an indoor-outdoor cat, but usually stayed in the back yard,
Oakes said. That changed when the couple got a new kitten in
November. Kitty and the newcomer didn't get along, and the older cat
strayed farther from home and stayed out longer.

A neighbor was feeding Kitty, but she would come home at night, Oakes
said. Meanwhile, the neighbor posted signs around the neighborhood
that he had found a cat.

"We wouldn't have paid attention to it," Oakes said. "She wasn't
missing to us."

The night of Jan. 6, Kitty didn't come home. The couple assumed
someone took her in from the cold, or because she wasn't spayed, she
went out in search of a mate, Leopardi said. About six days later,
still no Kitty, and he started making inquiries.

A woman walking her dog pointed out the neighbor who had been feeding
the cat, Leopardi said. He went to that man's house, and learned he
had taken the cat to a shelter on Jan. 6. Relieved to know where the
cat was, Leopardi said he arrived at the shelter early the next
morning. The workers told him to come back when they opened at 1 p.m.
When he returned at 1 o'clock sharp, Leopardi learned the sad truth.
Kitty had been put to sleep that morning. The shelter director told
him the cat was aggressive and wouldn't let anyone near her, so the
staff waited the week mandated by law and put her down.

There was nothing Leopardi could do but bring Kitty's body home for a
backyard burial.

The ending is sad, but it happens all too often. Only about 2 percent
of lost cats are reunited with their owners, animal advocates say.

Dogs are somewhat luckier.

But a tragedy like Kitty's could have been avoided, animal experts
say. Here are some tips to make sure your dog or cat doesn't share
Kitty's fate:

While you still have pet:

Get your pet spayed or neutered. Unaltered animals are much more
likely to wander as they look for mates.

Pets should not be allowed to roam free. When outside, dogs should be
on a leash and cats should be closely supervised. Some cats can be
trained to walk on a leash.

All pets - even those kept exclusively indoors - should wear an
identification tag. Use a breakaway collar for cats to avoid choking
hazards. Even better, have a microchip injected into your pet so
shelter workers can call you if the animal comes to their facility.

Keep several photos of your pet for identification. Your verbal
description of your pet and the finder's could be a lot different.

If pet gets lost:

Don't delay. Start looking immediately. Canvass your neighborhood for
your pet.

Post signs with your pet's picture all over the neighborhood, and ask
friends in surrounding towns to put up signs where they live. Ask
anyone claiming to have found your pet to describe it in detail.

Place ads in several papers in the area.

Call every animal shelter within 60 miles, or if possible, go in
person. Remember that Atlantic, Cape May and southern Ocean counties
each have more than one shelter. Make sure you call them all, and
don't forget the rescue groups.

Visit your neighbors to ask about your pet. Someone on your own block
may have taken it in.

Diligently follow any tips you get, unless the person asks for an
appreciable sum of money to return your animal. In that case, it's
probably a scam.

If you find lost pet:

If the animal is wearing a name tag or license and will let you read
it, call the owner. Local police or animal control can help locate
the owner of an animal with a license number, but no name or address.

Ask around the neighborhood if anyone recently lost a dog or cat.

Put up "pet found" signs and place ads in local newspapers.

Check "lost pet" signs in stores, veterinarians' offices, etc. Ask
friends who live in nearby communities to do the same. Call anyone
whose pet might meet the description of the one you found.

To e-mail Elaine Rose at The Press:
ERose@pressofac.com

http://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/lifestyle/012504J25PETFEATURE.html

Posted on SHARE Yahoo group Jan 27, 2004