SACRAMENTO, CA - Animals in many California shelters may soon have only three days before they can be adopted out or euthanized under a budget proposal by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Under the 1997 Hayden bill, shelters that receive funds from the state must keep animals six days before they face the possibility of being euthanized.

“We’re going to give pounds the ability to do it in three days, four days, five days, six days, whatever they see as the best way to do it,” said Governor’s spokesman Aaron McLear, who added the proposal would save nearly $25 million and give local shelters more discretion.

An outcry by pet owners derailed the plan when the Governor proposed it once before. And some hope they can do it again. “Dogs are like your kids, and so it was hard when he was missing and to have him put down or given to somebody else, that would just be devastating,” said Sue Paulson, who recently lost her dog.

Some shelters expect to have the resources to continue to keep animals for the current six day standard. But others would likely make adjustments. “Certainly, there are other counties in the state that are faced with much harsher economic realities, so it would mean more animals would be put down in those areas,” said Rebecca Katz with San Francisco Animal Care and Control.

At the Sacramento Animal Shelter, Cynthia Brown stood anxiously outside, hoping her lost dog would turn up. “I’m very nervous and kind of in shock as it is, because I can’t find him and he doesn’t have his collar on. He’s been micro-chipped, but things happen,” Brown said. She said she couldn’t imagine having just three days before her missing animal might be euthanized.

Other pet owners say they worry that if they went on vacation and a pet got out, it might be adopted or euthanized before they returned. “You don’t wanna have that kind of pressure when you’re looking for a member of your family,” said Brown, who added that micro-chipping pets to identify them would become even more important if the measure passes in the next budget.

Is this animal cruelty? Help us end this kind of treatment!

Source: ZooToo.com