I am in favor of the animal shelter to be built. I am not only looking at this from the human aspect but also from the animal’s side. Pets should be spayed and neutered for animal control and also shots given to them for their health and safety. I had a cat for 18 years and now adopted one that has been here 2 years. My cats have been strictly house cats and have had their shots for protection. They both were microchipped. If they got lost the odds would be better to be turned in if a shelter was here locally. Dogs or cats to be taken somewhere so their owners can get them back, put up for adoption or found a home. My present cat came from a shelter and some animals could be saved from Jefferson County if done here.
There are two other points to consider. #1. Control of the stray/feral cats. I have cats digging up my herbs, spraying and putting their droppings in its place. #2. “Literally number two.” I own no dogs but I had to purchase and use a pooper scooper because stray dogs’ poop on my lawn on a regular basis even though the City of Boulder has a “dog at large” ordinance. I try to keep my yard looking nice and responsible dog owners should be held accountable when they roam the streets unattended. I have a new riding lawn mower which collects poop in the tires which I have to scrape out with a screwdriver, gloves, and a paper towel. Not too keen on cleaning my shoes either.
When pets are picked up, they can easily be retrieved from the local shelter, put up for adoption which saves money on transfers to Helena and the police don’t have the time nor budget to do this anyway. As for costs to the taxpayers, a home worth $50,000 would pay $6.08 per year, a home worth $100,000 would pay $12.15 and a residence worth $200,000 would pay $24,30. For me it would cost $12.15, the price of a haircut, 10 candy bars or gas to make one trip to Helena. This cost is for one year. Is that too much to ask for our pets? Please think of our pets and the many homeless animal’s needs by Voting Yes for Jefferson County to establish a nonprofit Animal Shelter.
— Alan R. Giulio, Boulder
