HUMANE SOCIETY TO END OUTDOOR DROPS

The fate of unwanted pets is known by all but faced by few. The silent class is in possession of a grim reality.

Sometimes the reality ends at 2536 Boutin Drive -- the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri.

The society accepts pets or unwanted animals on a no-questions-asked, 24-hour basis.

People can bring animals to the office or use three drop-off runs outside the society's office.

At least, that is, until next Monday when the after-hours, drop-off service ends.

Humane Society representatives say ending the service should help increase adoptions and decrease future shelter populations.

"By ending the after-hours drop, we are encouraging people to not only be better pet owners, but if they have to drop-off an animal, please bring it through the front door," said program director Cynthia Kothe.

Kothe said people often have good intentions by dropping animals at the shelter after closing, but this policy is not always in the best interest of the animal.

"If the animal is dropped-off, we don't have any information on the animal, such as medical or dietary information," stated Kothe.

It is virtually impossible for the society to find adoptive owners without having some information about the animal.

"People don't want to adopt an animal that has been dropped because we can't provide them with very much information, if any, on the animal," Kothe said.

Lack of information can also put staff and prospective adoption families at risk. Although it hasn't happened, the possibility exists that a dog may have unknown vicious tendencies.

"The perception is that if the animal was dropped, there must be something wrong with it," said Kothe. "That's why someone put it there in the middle of the night."

If an animal is put into drop, the director said, it must be considered a stray and that means holding it for five days to see if the owner picks it up.

During those five days the animal cannot be adopted. If the pet is not retrieved by its owner and someone was willing to adopt it but could not, the pet might ultimately face euthanasia.

"But if a pet owner brings an animal to us, we can get information on the animal and immediately put the animal up for adoption," Kothe said.

The drop-off policy has also led to the theft and disappearance of dogs from the outdoor runs. The animals, Kothe said, are being taken by well-intentioned animal lovers and by thieves intending to sell dogs to medical and research labs.

"We've had employees come in to work and find the dogs missing and even had dogs taken while an employee was in the building," Kothe said.

After the drop-off is closed next week, animals may be brought in during business hours seven days a week.

"The Humane Society of Southeast Missouri wants to educate responsible pet owners that they will have their pet for the lifetime of the pet -- and that may be 15 years for a dog and 25 for a cat," said Kothe.

For more information about the drop-off service, call the Humane Society at 334-2936.