New Director Says Pets Are 'Luxury'

The Ann Arbor News, Sunday, November 30, 1975

New Director Says Pets Are 'Luxury’

BY ZADA BLAYTON

News Staff Reporter

While many people are enjoying the holiday season, many homeless dogs and cats will be put to sleep because they outnumber families who can love and be responsible for them.

Teaching people responsibility for their pets and upgrading laws to keep animals from being mistreated are the goals of the new executive director of the Huron Valley Humane Society.

“It is time people took responsibility for animals because they are helpless without us,” said Kathleen Flood as she talked of the pet population explosion.

Ms. Flood, 31, said one of the reasons she was hired for the position was her commitment to educate people about animals so that more dogs and cats aren't brought into a world where they cannot be taken care of.

Her interest in the Humane Society movement began when she worked part-time at the Humane Society in Lafayette, Ind., while attending Purdue University as a theater arts major.

She has been shelter manager at the Tippecanoe County Humane Association, Lafayette, Ind., for three years and executive director for two years.

Ms. Flood said the abundance of domestic animals in the United States is due to the fact that 2,000 to 3,000 puppies and kittens are born an hour.

“It is estimated that the animal population problem is four times greater than the people population problem," she said.

Ms. Flood said 13.5 million dogs and cats are put to sleep each year. This represents only one-third of the overpopulation problem, she added.

People are not aware when they bring home an animal that owning a pet is a “luxury.” Ms. Flood blames the pet industry in part for the non-education of potential pet owners.

"Impulse buying" is the culprit said Ms. Flood. People leave the pet shop without thinking of the cost and the emotional responsibility.

“I don’t take a drink of water unless I'm sure they have one," said Ms. Flood as she described her own responsibility to her two Great Danes.

In Ann Arbor alone last year the Humane Society handled about 16,500 animals and helped return 2,000 Animals to their owners, she said.

Ms. Flood said about 18 to 20 per cent of the stray animals are adopted here in Ann Arbor. The rest are eventually put to sleep, she said.

"I don’t like to put them to sleep any more than anyone else likes to hear about it,” she said.

Ms. Flood said she has one consolation in putting an animal to sleep.

“Once the animal s euthanized, no one is going to kick him around anymore," she said.

Veterinarians, the Humane Society and others in the pet industry are going to have to work together, she said.

Ms. Flood said more people should have their domestic animals spayed and neutered.

Ms. Flood has served on the board of directors of the Lafayette Kennel Club and the board of the Indiana Federation of Humane Societies.

She was also a member of the Greater Lafayette Civic Theater Group, she coached the Purdue Varsity Women's softball team to a first place title in 1973 and she writes poetry.

HOMELESS - The cat being held at left by Kathleen Flood, new executive director of the Huron Valley Humane Society, is only one of many animals waiting for homes in this area. Ms. Flood says she has a double commitment to teach pet owners about their responsibilities and to upgrade laws dealing with animal mistreatment. (News Photo by Richard Walker)