Manatee County community collaboration for animal welfare does exist

As a member of Manatee United 4 Pets, a coalition of rescues, shelters, businesses and local government, I was pleased to read of Sarah Brown's appointment as the chief of Animal Services.

While I wholeheartedly agree that a true No Kill community can only be achieved with a "community collaboration," I disagree that this collaboration is "currently lacking in Manatee County."

On the contrary, MCAS is fortunate to have wonderful partnerships with local rescues, SPCAs and Humane Societies who pull dogs and cats from the Palmetto shelter. They also enjoy support from local government, which sponsored this summer's Adopt-a-Palooza at the Bradenton Convention Center.

Local businesses have been generous and contributed time, energy and money for adoption events and medical treatments for rescue pets. Wonderful volunteers dedicate themselves six days per week, walking, bathing, photographing and training dogs, fostering and cuddling cats and networking.

There is much more to be done, of course. No Kill communities only exist when citizens commit to responsible pet ownership. We are not there yet. For example, of the 62 dogs for adoption at the shelter today, one third of them have heartworms. Others have been used as breeders and abandoned. Many bear the physical scars of a less than optimal life.

Collaboration for education, encouragement, enabling and enforcement is the key to "stopping the flow."

The other half of the No Kill equation is adoptions, and our community can work together to encourage pet lovers to "opt to adopt."

I am optimistic that Ms. Brown will bring tried and true management and marketing practices to MCAS. We are ready for a proactive leader.

If you are an animal lover, I invite you to join the collaboration by volunteering, fostering, adopting or donating to save lives at my manatee.org/pets.

Let's help Ms. Brown bring MCAS to "its full potential."

Debra Starr, Animal Network Palmetto

This story was originally published January 13, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Manatee County community collaboration for animal welfare does exist ."