Why don’t animal shelters collect data on reasons for euthanising animals?
Animal shelters in any country are potentially a great source of information about pet ownership.
A lot of companion animals pass through their doors; many of them leave their facilities the same way they arrived but many never leave except in a bin.
I’d like to know the reasons for euthanising the cats and dogs. I’d like a full account with detail. I don’t believe it would be so hard to collect that information.
It would be very useful information for local and national governments. It would shed light on companion animal ownership.
The information would tell us more about the impact declawing has on cat ownership and how many cats are abandoned because of it.
Being obliged to collect data would also improve animal welfare at shelters.
The information collected could be used to rank the success of animal shelters which would feed down to improved standards especially in relation to assessment of animal behaviour and health both of which are used to assess whether an animal lives or dies.
Is the reason why shelters don’t collect data because it might shed some unwanted light on the less attractive aspects of running an animal shelter?
This post is very short because it is being written on an iPhone as I’m currently on the move.