Facts vs. Myths

By Pete Betlem

Facts vs. Myths

Much has been said, written and rumored about Amigos de los Animales, Mazatlan's premier animal rescue center. Let's compare the myths and the facts:

Myth: ADLA is a kill center that routinely euthanizes cats and dogs after a specified period of time or to make room for new animals.

Fact: Nothing could be further from the truth. Unwanted or non-adoptable cats are neutered and released back into the wild where they have the best chances for survival and a natural life. Dogs are kept indefinitely until a forever home can be found. It is not unusual to have one or two dogs at the Shelter that have been with us for over a year.

Do we ever "put down" an animal? Unfortunately, Yes. Animals that contract serious, irreversible illnesses, diseases or injuries may, after much consultation with our veterinary and vet-tech personnel, have to be euthanized for the overall well-being of the shelter.

It should be noted here that ADLA is a Humane Society and, as such, there are those rare instances where it is more humane to euthanize an animal than it is to let them live out a shortened life in pain and suffering.

Myth: We arbitrarily refuse to accept some animals into our care because we feel that they do not have a good chance of being adopted.

Fact: The adoptability of an animal has no bearing whatsoever on our decision to accept or reject an animal. The number one reason for rejecting animals is that we have limited space. When we have a "full house" we cannot accept more animals. If we cannot properly feed and house an animal, we do not accept them into our care. While we would like to receive every animal that comes to our door, it is just a physical impossibility. We do have a few generous individuals that are willing to foster animals for us until a home can be found. That enables us to accept slightly more animals than the shelter alone can handle.

Myth: You can bring your sick or injured animal to the shelter and have it treated for free or at discount rates.

Fact: We do not have a veterinary on duty to treat your sick or injured animal. You must take your animal to a reputable veterinary for treatment. Once we make the decision to accept an animal we provide all the necessary care and treatment to ensure the health of the animal - at our own expense.

Myth: We will allow an animal to be adopted by anyone - just to get rid of it.

Fact: Not true! Prospective adoption applicants are carefully questioned as to the type of home that the animal will be exposed to. On many occasions we do follow-up work to ensure that the animal is being treated in a kind and considerate manner. Every effort is made to ensure a good home for our animals.

It should also be noted here that all animals released for adoption must be vaccinated and neutered. In some cases the animal being adopted is too young to have received all of its vaccinations or be neutered. In those instances we stay in touch with the new parents and schedule vaccinations and neutering when the animal is old enough. We do this at our own expense.

Myth: ADLA is administered by lay-persons who are well-intentioned but posses little or no practical experience with animals.

Fact: Quite the contrary - at present ADLA is fortunate to have two highly experienced veterinarians that give of their time almost daily to do wellness checks on the animals and prescribe medications as needed. Additionally we have two highly experienced vet-techs on board that assist the vets and administer the prescribed medications.

If you would like to join our staff as a volunteer you can contact us at: 669-986-4235. For as little as 3 hours a week you can make a difference in the life of an animal. There are several ways in which you can help: Your time, your money, your material donations such as quality animal food and cleaning supplies or unwanted household items that could be sold in our on-site bazaar, or your ability to be a foster parent. And - perhaps the biggest gift of all - a forever home for one of our guests. Which of these options work best for you?