Important Message: Reasons against abandoning your pet and some alternatives
Animals abandoned on the street have a very low chance of survival. That is equally true of animals abandoned at UCLA. Some people release their pet cats on campus, thinking that the cats will have enough to eat from the leftovers in the human eating areas. Even if the animal does survive the initial abandonment, he or she can experience injury, illness, or cruelty if left on campus. Outdoor cats are more likely to be run over by cars, exposed to territorial fights, poisoning, diseases and lead a short life.
A domesticated cat that is left in the wild is likely to be frightened and become feral within a few days. If the cat is not trapped within the critical period, it will become untrustworthy of humans and not be placeable in homes. Furthermore, if presence of a new, unaltered cat is not recognized for a longer period, it will create more kittens and add to the cat overpopulation problem. If you are thinking about leaving your cat or dog on campus, we do not guarantee that your pet will be found, not to mention finding it within the critical period before the animal becomes feral, or worse, before it acquires incurable diseases or hit by a car or person.
The University's steadily increasing number of security cameras will make it easier to apprehend and to prosecute individuals for the crime of animal abandonment. California Penal Code sec. 597s makes it a crime for abandoning an animal, with a fine of $500 for each instance. But, that is of little comfort to the abandoned animal. If you, or anyone you know, needs to find a new home for a pet, please do not think of leaving the pet at school. That animal's odds of survival are very low.
Therefore, it is much better to find an agency that takes in unwanted pets than to release them into the wild. The best approach is to locate a new home by working with a rescue group dedicated to finding new homes for pets. If all else fails, it is far better to take the animal to a shelter instead of simply leaving it to suffer a miserable death on the streets. Although it is true that many pets are put to sleep at shelters, it is also true that some are adopted from the shelter by new families or by rescue groups who will work to find the animal a new home.
non-profit Animal Rescue Organizations may be found at:
- California's Directory of Pet Adoption Resources
- Sue Freeman's Guide to Rescue Cats
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email: awa@ucla.edu