[Phillyfisher]

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Police Shoot Stray Dogs, Pets | Global Animal

How about addressing the source instead? Shutdown the puppy mills. Hopefully police officers are caring enough not to follow this...

 

[C's Mom]

This is down right scary. What are they thinking?

If Mr. C ever got lost I know that he would bark his head off at a police officer and would be shot for being "vicious". I hope the good people of PA start a protest.

 

[Golden999]

Shutting down sources of dogs concerns me because I feel it may ultimately raise the cost of purchasing or adopting a dog beyond what some people can afford. I don't think that's the solution to strays. I don't think shooting them is the solution either. There's got to me another way.

Maybe the local Humane Society could negotiate with the city government in Harrisburg to agree to turn the strays over to them if the Humane Society can raise the money through private donors to care for them and make up for what the local government is no longer providing in funding. A "police are going to shoot these dogs if we can't raise money so we can take them in" advertising campaign might result in a lot of donations.

They could probably raise quite a bit from this forum alone. I can't afford to give, but I get the feeling a lot of people would give immediately if it was clear it would save these animals.

 

[Penny & Maggie's Mom]

OH MY GOD, this is barbaric! I know that our officers do shoot if attacked, but this is so far beyond that it's unbelievable! Where on earth is a shred of common sense or compassion..... time to clean house big time Harrisburg.

 

[Phillyfisher]

Shutting down sources of dogs concerns me because I feel it may ultimately raise the cost of purchasing or adopting a dog beyond what some people can afford.

The initial cost of owning a pet is only a tiny portion of the cost of a pet over its lifetime. The mills produce unhealthy dogs that ultimately get dumped after the cost of ownership exceeds what the owner is willing to pay. The state needs to impose stricter laws and enforcement on puppy mills. Then again, that would require more money too...

 

[laprincessa]

Wasn't there an update to this, that even after Harrisburg paid the Humane Society fees, they still refused to take in any dogs? I'll have to look for a link to the story.