- Spaying
and neutering
- Don't shop, adopt!
- Report animal cruelty, abuse, or neglect
- Chained dogs
- Adequate dog shelter
- No "free to good home" ads
- Feral/stray cats
There are so many good reasons to have your pets spayed or neutered:
- There is a surplus of dogs and cats
- Every year, 3 to 4 million dogs and cats are euthanized in the U.S. (That means they're put down, put to sleep, killed!) That includes thousands in the Omaha area alone.
- Many of these surplus animals are turned loose to fend for themselves. These stray animals create numerous public health and safety problems (dog bites, spreading disease, killing wildlife) in addition to their own suffering. Others end up warehoused in shelters where their quality of life is less than ideal.
- Whether controlling or sheltering surplus animals, it costs tens of millions of dollars a year in the U.S., much of it tax money.
- It's good for your pet
- Spayed and neutered pets live longer, healthier lives.
- Spaying and neutering reduces or eliminates the likelihood of many diseases and cancers that can be difficult and expensive to treat while causing the animal to suffer.
- It's good for you
- Spaying and neutering make pets better, more affectionate companions.
- Neutering cats greatly reduces the likelihood of spraying and marking.
- Spaying eliminates the heat cycle and its associated problems.
- Spaying and neutering reduce behavioral problems like biting, running away, and fighting.
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Don't shop, adopt!
There are also many good reasons to adopt a shelter or rescued pet rather than buying one retail:
- You may be saving the animal's life. It could have been one of the 50% of shelter animals that will be euthanized this year in the U.S. Even if you adopt from a no-kill shelter, you are not only giving the animal a better life, you're making room for the shelter to take in another unwanted pet.
- You'll be getting a good pet. If you adopt an animal over a year old, it will already be spayed or neutered, and a dog will probably already be housebroken. If you adopt a mixed-breed animal, it will be less likely to have genetic and behavioral problems than a pure-bred. (If you really want a kitten or puppy, shelters and rescue groups usually have a small supply of those, too. And if you do want a pure-bred, there are rescue groups dedicated to almost every breed with animals available for adoption. Visit petfinder.com and search by breed.)
- If you adopt a shelter or
rescued
dog, you won't be supporting a
puppy mill.
Puppy mills are breeding factories that sell pure-bred puppies through
pet stores
or directly to consumers. They are notorious for overbreeding,
inbreeding, minimal veterinary care, poor quality of food and shelter,
lack of socialization with humans, overcrowded cages, and the killing
of less-than-perfect animals. Unwitting buyers may end up paying
top prices for animals with severe genetic and behavioral problems.
- You'll save money and have a wide selection to choose from. Why pay hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars for a "designer" pet when adoption fees typically range from $20 to $150. And there are hundreds and hundreds of shelter and rescued animals to choose from in the Omaha area.
- You'll feel good every
day as
your adopted pet shows its
appreciation for getting a good home!
Report animal cruelty, abuse, or neglect
A neglected or abused animal cannot speak up for itself. If you witness neglect or abuse of a pet, you are the one who can help prevent the animal’s further suffering, injury, or even death.
Step 1 – Evaluate the situation based on the Omaha city ordinance regarding animal cruelty (summarized below), determine if neglect or abuse is occurring. If you see obvious abuse or cruelty, go to Step 2 immediately. (If possible and safe, record the incident with a camera, camera phone, or camcorder.) If you suspect neglect, such as a dog chained outdoors without water, observe the situation for a while if possible. If it continues, go to Step 2. If you’re just not sure if abuse or neglect is occurring, err on the side of caution and report it.
Step 2 – Report it Call the Nebraska Humane Society at 444-7800, ext 1. Be prepared to provide the time and location of the neglect or abuse and a description of the animal and its situation. And don’t worry; the source of reports is kept confidential.
What Omaha law says is cruelty:
- Physical
Abuse
- You can’t
beat, torture, or burn animals.
- It is unlawful
for anyone to willfully or maliciously kill, maim, disfigure, torture,
beat
with a stick, chain or club or other object, mutilate, burn or scald
with any
substance or cruelly set upon any animal.
- The exception is to drive off vicious or trespassing animals.
- Physical Mistreatment
- You can’t leave an animal in a situation that causes suffering.
- It is unlawful for any person to knowingly, intentionally, or negligently cause or allow any animal to endure unreasonable or unjustifiable pain, suffering, or injury.
- Withholding or Neglecting Care and Maintenance
- You have to provide the basics of food, water, shelter from the elements, and proper veterinary care.
- It is unlawful to refuse, neglect, or fail to provide proper food, drink, shade, shelter, physical maintenance, and veterinary care.
- Animals must be provided every 24 hours with nutritionally sound food.
- Animals must be provided at all times with clean fresh water in a proper dish or tub that can’t be tipped or knocked over by the animal.
- Animals shall receive care and medical treatment for debilitating injuries, parasites, and disease, sufficient to maintain the animal in good health and to minimize suffering
- Animals that must be tied up must wear a collar or harness not of the choker type to attach to the tether. No animal will have a chain, rope, or cord directly around its neck. The tether cord must be at least 10 feet in length.
- Any enclosure in which an animal is kept has to be constructed of materials and in a manner to minimize the risk of injury. The animal also needs room to move around.
- Leaving animals in unattended vehicles
- Don’t leave animals in cars or trailers without heat in winter and A/C in the summer.
- You cannot leave animals unattended in vehicles for periods of time when hot or cold temperatures can endanger their health, or when lack of food, water, or care can cause them suffering, disability, or death.
- Abandonment of animals
- You can’t leave animals to fend for themselves.
- It’s unlawful to leave an animal for more than 24 hours without making provisions for food, water, and care. If an animal is restrained outside without food, water, or proper care, animal control officers may enter the property and supply it with food, water, and care as long as it remains there.
- Dog fighting - It’s unlawful to train a dog to fight, or to watch a dog fight. Report this to the anonymous tip line at 444-7800, ext 1 for a possible reward of up to $1,000.
Chained dogs
Chaining a dog outside is one of the worst ways to keep a dog. Some may think a dog chained outside provides security, but while indoor dogs intimidate would-be burglars, outdoor dogs are at their mercy. They are often clubbed, stabbed, or poisoned. If a dog is chained outside, the following requirements apply:
- The chain must be at least 10 feet long.
- The chain must be attached to a regular collar, not a choke collar. Never put the chain directly around the dog's neck.
- A dog should never be chained near
a fence or other obstacle
that the dog could jump over or get caught on.
- Adequate shelter must be provided. (See next section)
- Fresh water must be available.
Adequate dog shelter
We don't recommend leaving your dog outdoors since dogs can suffer from isolation. But if your dog can't be part of your family and live indoors with you, you must provide adequate shelter. A proper outdoor shelter requires the following:
- The
correct size for the dog -
large enough to stand, turn around, and lie down comfortably, small
enough to allow the dog to warm the interior with its body heat.
- Weatherproof tar paper on roof and sides.
- For a door, plastic or rubber mat with a vertical slit almost to the top. The mat must cover the entrance to keep body heat in and cold weather, snow, and rain out. The door should be off-center to cut drafts.
- Use hay for winter bedding with a wooden lip at the bottom of the door to keep the bedding in. Don't use cloth or rugs as they hold moisture and freeze.
- Keep the shelter off the ground to keep out dampness and prevent floor rot. Use wooden legs, bricks, or concrete blocks.
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No "free to good home" ads
Don't advertise an unwanted pet as "free to good home." Pet peddlers prey on people who can no longer keep their pets. A cruel fate may await your pet such as becoming a laboratory test animal or bait for pit bulls. If you must give up your pet,
- Verify the adopter's name, address, and phone number. Ask to see mail or utility bills.
- Ask for references. Get the name of their veterinarian and verify with a phone call.
- Insist on seeing the animal in a month or two.
- Don't advertise the pet as free. Charge at least $20 per animal.
- Contact us for a free
adoption contract.
Feral/stray cats
Some feral cats are the result of cats who got out of the house and/or got lost on their own. But most are the result of irresponsible cat owners who don't spay or neuter their animals, let them breed litter after litter, and then dump the kittens outside to fend for themselves. A breeding pair of feral cats and their offspring can generate up to 420,000 animals in seven years. Many of these cats suffer terrible fates - starving to death, freezing to death, dying after being hit by a car or from infection, injury, or attacks by other animals.
If you know of an area with numerous feral/stray cats, please notify us. We have a program of humanely trapping these animals and taking them to a vet for spaying/neutering and treatment. Since feral cats are basically wild animals, they are rarely suitable for adoption as pets. So they are released back where they were trapped. The best we can do is reduce the number of animals that suffer.
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