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COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE WORRIED ABOUT ABANDONED ANIMALS
Interagency Meeting Being Planned to Address Issue
As the national economy continues to sour, West Virginia is likely to see more cases of abandoned animals, according to West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass.
But the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) is planning a meeting with concerned parties in the new year to try to identify resources and allocate responsibilities for such incidences.
“We must figure out a way to deal with cases of animal neglect and abandonment that occur throughout the state,” said Commissioner Douglass. “Although the WVDA has a veterinary staff, its official duties – mandated in the State Code – are to protect all the animals in the state from communicable diseases. Its duties do not include putting down or providing treatment for homeless animals. Although we have done those things on occasion, we simply do not have the resources or statutory authority to provide that service.”
Douglass said he has noticed news reports of an increase in abandoned dogs, and last week his agency disposed of the carcass of a severely injured horse that was found along the roadside and taken home by a concerned animal lover.
“I fear we have not seen the last of these types of incidents,” said Commissioner Douglass. “The economy looks as though it’s going to get worse before it gets better, and pets – particularly large animals such as horses – can be very expensive to take care of.”
Commissioner Douglass said it costs approximately $100 a month just to feed a horse during winter months when it can’t graze on grass. He also noted that recent legislation outlawing slaughter of unwanted horses leaves owners with few alternatives.
“Certain animal rights advocates, in their zeal to protect horses, have created a situation that actually encourages poor treatment of these animals,” said Commissioner Douglass.
In the past, old or infirm horses could be sold for a few hundred dollars and sent to humane slaughter in a USDA-inspected facility. Now, owners must pay to have sick, infirm or unwanted horses put down, transported and disposed of. And because there’s no demand, horses sell for virtually nothing. A pair of horses recently sold at a West Virginia auction market for $10 a piece, Commissioner Douglass noted.
“If the reason the horse is unwanted is because the owner can’t afford to keep it, now the owner cannot afford to get rid of it either,” Commissioner Douglass said.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org.
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