Stray Tuned

Although Americans are collectively crazy about their pets, the sad truth is that too many animals are going through life homeless and at risk. First responders to the nationwide crisis range from huge organizations like the American Humane Association and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) to smaller homegrown groups that have sprung up in many communities, as well as kind and committed individuals who take it upon themselves to feed hungry strays.

No matter how much they do to help, it never seems like enough as the irresponsible creeps who have created the problems continue to abandon, abuse and neglect the four-legged population without remorse. Traditionally, putting pets in shelters, figuring out ways to feed those still outdoors and endeavoring to limit the explosion of homeless pets through spay and neuter programs have certainly helped. But some groups, including Animal Alliance of Greater Syracuse (AAGS), have aimed for more comprehensive, coordinated methods, seeking to find allies in government and collaborators in businesses and universities.

“There are communities that have taken a very proactive approach, even with limited money,” says AAGS member Jan Markarian. “We’ve followed the model of the Mayor’s Alliance for New York City’s Animals, which brings together rescue, humane and non-profit groups working in partnership with the city. There’s a sense of credibility that comes from the connection to government.”

Soon after the formation of the AAGS in 2010, Markarian hosted a meeting at her East Side home attended by Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner. “Mayor Miner welcomed the opportunity to meet with us,” Markarian recalls. “She really opened the door for us. She’s been very supportive. {New York City} Mayor Bloomberg’s task force had validated that approach to animal welfare and locally it was validated by Mayor Miner.”

While dog issues are often most visible, the number of homeless cats is exploding. “In many neighborhoods, cats are a problem,” says Syracuse Councilor-at-Large Jean Kessner. “In some parts of the city it’s a plague. My interest in working with the Animal Alliance is that they’re really dedicated people who are willing to put some time into it to work on finding solutions.” 

While the AAGS has established a solid working relationship within Syracuse City Hall, another local municipality, the town of Salina, has concentrated on obstructing any reasonable approach to its stray cat problems by passing a law that seeks to blame and penalize residents who treat homeless felines humanely. As a result, healthy pets have been trapped and euthanized and citizens have been threatened with prosecution for feeding strays. A lawsuit challenging the law was filed in state Supreme Court on March 22.

AAGS grew out of an effort to stand with a Salina resident, who felt victimized when she was charged under the cat law. “We came together to support Linda Smith,” Markarian recalls. While the AAGS hopes to act as an umbrella organization for animal care groups, not all agencies agree on solutions. Some, like the ASPCA, euthanize animals while other shelters are strongly opposed to such actions. 

Territoriality and competition for financial support from the public create rivalries that impede progress when partnership has proven a more effective approach. “We need an organization like the Animal Alliance that can perhaps devote itself to managing issues and get help from members and associates as needed,” says AAGS president Linda Young. “For instance, the town of Salina once asked me to work on a feral cat colony and there were supposedly 24 cats. I put out an email and within about half-an-hour I had at least 24 traps to borrow. That’s what we need in terms of collaboration, knowing where to go and having people who are willing to help when they’re needed.”

The alliance emphasizes the need for partnership and coordination as keys to improving life for animals in need. Government collaboration, as demonstrated in New York and other cities, can lead to stronger laws and tighter enforcement to reduce abusive behavior. Last October there was a pit bull awareness day in Syracuse, organized by a group known as the Cuse Pit Crew, to increase knowledge and reduce misunderstanding of pit bulls and other maligned breeds (see related story, page 24).

AAGS efforts have received valuable support from several government and law enforcement agencies, forging working relationships with the Syracuse Common Council and city clerk and the district attorney’s office. “The DA’s office has prioritized animal cruelty cases,” remarks AAGS vice president Donna Chambers. “Assistant DA Laura Fiorenza has been the point person in working with us.” 

City police officers have received training geared to promote enforcement of laws designed to protect animals, as well. “We met with Syracuse police officer Becky Thompson, who has taken the time to teach herself animal cruelty laws,” Chambers says. “She’s now teaching those laws to new officers at the police academy.”

While homeless shelters and adoption promotions are vital to get homeless dogs and cats off the streets, the long-term solution must focus on sterilization of animals, including feral cats that breed rapidly. AAGS strongly supports a technique known as trap-neuter-return (TNR) that releases ferals back to their territory after they are spayed or neutered, as long as the area is relatively safe. 

“The first part is everyone cooperating because we all want the same thing,” Young contends. “Whether it’s a hoarder situation or a cruelty investigation, everybody kind of pitches in and does what they’re best at doing. The other part of it is trying to use the programs that work in other places. So much research has been done and so many innovative programs that work are available, like TNR for feral cats.”

“We can’t work any harder, but we can work smarter,” is the credo of AAGS. That attitude has proven successful in many communities that have set examples for how to deal with the same issues facing Central New York. Calgary, Alberta, Canada, emphasizes care and control of animals, using funds from licensing fees, a user-friendly process that rewards pet owners with a discount card widely accepted by pet shops.  

Licensing fees in Calgary fund a wide range of animal-related services, including a no-cost spay and neuter program for low-income residents and an adoption program that is featured on the city’s website. 

“The remarkable thing about Calgary is that they have a 92 percent compliance rate with dog licensing,” Young says. “With that money, animal control is completely self-supporting. Before too long they had a $9 million animal center, a combination shelter and spay/neuter clinic and low-cost veterinary facility. This is all without tax money. The whole attitude is very different. It’s sold to the people as a value-added program.”

Some Syracuse leaders are seeing a need for such a positive approach to animal-related issues here. “Speaking as a person who agrees with their stand, you need to make people know how important this is for the health of the city, for the health of the animals and for the children,” Kessner asserts. “They’re doing a very good job making people aware. People will come to realize it’s something that needs to be addressed. You start someplace and, as far as the feral cat population, we know we have them. Let’s take what steps we can to limit it.” 

Calgary and other communities have set an example: dramatically improve compliance with animal laws by using an approach that is supportive rather than punitive. “The city of Syracuse really, really wants to do it right,” Young reports. “The problem right now, of course, is funding. We can help people comply more with dog licensing so that it brings more money into the animal control program. From this money, we would like to see low-cost spay and neuter. We’d like to see micro-chipping. There are so many things they could do.”

In 2010, 2,651 dogs were licensed in Syracuse, bringing in $32,464. According to City Clerk John Copanas, 44 percent of money from fees is used to pay for animal services such as the sheltering of strays by the local SPCA and helping to finance a spay and neuter program for low-income residents. “We’re mandated by the state to collect fees, but sharing the money is optional,” Copanas explains. “The balance of the money goes into the general fund to offset the costs associated with administering our office. It doesn’t cover all of our costs.”         

The city website (syracuse.ny.us) links visitors to the websites for AAGS and other organizations promoting adoption and spaying, and offering help with issues related to licensing, animal cruelty and lost pets. AAGS has put the issue of using more of the licensing fees to fund programs on the table in Syracuse and has some support. “It’s something I would like to see Syracuse do,” Kessner affirms. “Before 2011, New York state just took the money and gave us so much. Now the city keeps the licensing fees. The real difficulty in all things right now, and legitimately so, is that the city doesn’t have money for ventures. So how can you pay for this?”  

Young, as a driving force in animal advocacy, will be honored April 29 by the local chapter of the National Organization for Women as an unsung heroine. She’s quick to share the credit with those who support her mission. “It’s trying to point people in the right direction,” she says. “We keep educating people about how it could be done. A lot of people get really interested in how it could be done, but they give up too soon. We’re not giving up.”