Pet owners should be responsible in county
Want some idea of how besotted we are with our pets?
Consider that the reassessment of property in Washington County promises to potentially raise tax bills for many homeowners, yet Diana Irey Vaughan, a county commissioner, said that she has received more inquiries and comments about stray cats that have made a home for themselves at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Arden than the reassessment.
There are 40 to 60 cats lurking amid the barns and exhibit halls at the fairgrounds, as we detailed in a story by Barbara S. Miller in the Friday edition. Many of the cats have ended up there thanks to their owners dumping them.
Yes, people do fall on hard times, or find that they have more cats than they can handle, but for anyone who counts domestic cats as beloved members of their household, the idea of heedlessly tossing a cat into the wilderness to fend for itself is stomach-churning and heartbreaking.
A group called Pet Search has been working for two decades to feed, vaccinate, spay and neuter cats that turn up at the fairgrounds.
The board that operates the fairgrounds has considered posting a sign warning people against dumping their pets there, or feeding cats and animals, and Pet Search has requested a video surveillance system be put in place, but the fair board has said the cost should be borne by Pet Search.
But if the county installed a video surveillance system, it would perhaps not only reduce the number of people who are dumping their pets at the fairgrounds, but also be a good long-term investment, considering the value of the barns and exhibition halls.
The ultimate responsibility lies with pet owners, however, who should make sure their cats are spayed or neutered, and that they are prepared to take on the responsibility of owning a pet in the first place.