Dear Editor:
Firstly, please note, I am not protesting either the vaccination or licensing of dogs. My argument is with the system.
For the safety of pets, agricultural livestock and wildlife, we need a licensing system, in cities and towns as much as in rural areas, and this we had until five or six years ago. A very good team of husband and wife who were always available at the end of a telephone should an animal be lost, or an infected wild animal, obviously in trouble, needed help.
Rabies (both types), distemper, leptospirosis and lyme disease and are common problems with wildlife, and can spread to our domesticated animals, and us, without direct contact simply through urine. It is because of this that the human form of animal control that we had until about five years ago was important, as there was always someone near at hand to pick up an infected raccoon, skunk, groundhog, etc., and prevent the family pet or young child becoming involved. It was also a humane end for the poor diseased creature.
Unfortunately, our township was not willing to pay a fair fee for this service so the agency resigned. No, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Humane Society did not replace this service as was promised.
It appears that now we have gone one step even further away from practicality, as this year our township registration is computerized, and run by DocuPet, a service which operates on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border. “When there is an emergency, just log-in!” If you don’t use a computer, as many people do not, or in time of stress you do not feel like talking to a computer, remember that you are not alone, and just call the township office as they are quite helpful.
Feeling somewhat annoyed, I did call our township office and they did accept my registration and payment over the telephone. Now, what do I do with the rabid raccoon, the skunk with distemper, or the squirrels dying from a new paralysis we witnessed last summer, call the mayor?
Carol Williams,
Pilkington