Animal shelters around the country are navigating shelter crowding following restrictions placed on transporting animals across state lines with the outbreak of the new world screwworm.
Kolby Monnig from Texas Humane Legislation Network, Liz Schultz from SPCA of Texas, along with two, 2-month old puppies, Apollo and Rocky, joined NTX Now host Ron Corning and managing producer Bekah Morr to learn more about current animal shelter conditions, how they're fighting for stronger animal protections in Texas, and how to distinguish a good seller from a bad one.
These interview highlights have been edited for length and clarity. To hear the conversation in full, click the 'listen' button above.
Shutting down puppy mills
If you're looking to adopt your next furry family member, Manning recommends stopping by your local SPCA. Not only are there ethical concerns with puppy mills, such as treatment of the adult animals, but it also costs quite a bit more.
"I'm sure y'all have heard the song, 'How Much Is That Puppy in the Window,'" she said. "Well, that puppy in the window cost a lot, it has high interest rates and it comes from out-of-state breeders. If you are looking for a purebred dog, you can actually find them at your local shelters."
When you do choose to adopt from local shelters, Schultz says it makes a difference.
"There are studies out there that show that nationwide, if an extra 6% of people chose to adopt from their local animal shelter instead of a puppy mill or a backyard breeder, we could actually end euthanasia in shelters," she said. "So, we are making progress. We are getting very close. We are seeing that foot traffic. Our adoption numbers are up year over year and we're very excited about where we're headed with that."
Statewide legislation
Manning says Texas has strengthened animal cruelty laws through the passing of the Safe Outdoor Dogs Act, also known as "the tethering bill."
But there's still work to do.
Now, she says her organization's legislative priority is dealing with ethical pet sales. Manning says removing options for people to buy pets through retail markets that keep puppy mills profitable is the most effective thing adopters can do.
"This is one of the best ways that we can end the puppy mill pipeline in the state of Texas," she said. "We support anything that eliminates roadside cells of animals as well. Basically, Texas Humane Legislation Network wants you to go to a shelter and purchase your next companion animal that way and help end the overcrowding in our shelters."
Interested in adopting one (or both) of the puppies that joined us in the KERA studio? You can find Apollo and Rocky's adoption profile online here, and search "Apollo" or "Rocky" in the Name/ID section.
Ron Corning is a co-host of KERA's NTX Now. Got a tip? Email Ron at rcorning@kera.org.
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