Abandoned pets posing increasing risk to local communities, other animals
CHESTER COUNTY, Tenn. — Finding answers for abandoned pets in the West Tennessee region has become increasingly difficult, and it’s presenting a danger to the dogs as well as people.
This year alone has seen a massive spike in owner surrenders, abandoned dogs and strays.
In some areas, there are more dogs coming in than there are homes available. Animal facilities around the region are afraid if this continues, euthanization will be the only option for animals they simply don’t have space for.
We spoke with a wildlife expert on the challenges she faces regularly.
“A lot of the things that I see are going to be stray pets that come in. There are a lot of stray dogs and stray cats that come in, in various areas,” said Savana Gurley, vet tech at Chester County Animal Hospital. “A lot of the time we see dog fights and cat fights, and lots of bite wounds from injuries caused by stray pets that are roaming the area that are not controlled.”
We visited Chester County Thursday where they, like many other counties throughout the region, are having a problem with the influx of dog strays, especially at the C & R Gas and Grocery in Henderson.
Several residents told WBBJ that animal fatalities are becoming the norm due to the busy highway, and urge the public to be aware of animal safety.
“Your first response should be to check and make sure that your kids and your animals are not near that other vicious animal,” said Gurley. “I would call your local humane society or pound to see if you can get some help with rallying up that animal, so that way it gets the help it needs to make sure that it’s healthy. This process is to make sure there are no issues causing it to be aggressive.”
Abandoned animals like any other can spread infections to humans, so it’s important to remember not to get close enough for skin contact.
“We see a lot of leptospirosis cases. Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection that can be picked up by other wildlife and can be transferred to humans as well as other animals,” said Gurley.
Gurley strongly advises spaying and neutering to cut down on population control, diseases control and zoonotic infections that impact human health. If you have a pet at home, make sure to exercise yearly checkups.
Annual wellness exams will help you keep up with the progress of your pets health and core vaccinations that include: rabies vaccination, distemper parvo, leptospirosis vaccination, and bordetella for kennel cough.
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