I have been to the Tracy Animal Shelter one time, and honestly, I have no wish to ever go back. The place is downright depressing. But for all the people who have never been there, here is a short description:
First, you have to drive at least 15 minutes, give or take a few depending on your starting location, out of town to get there in the first place. And you wind up in an area that you didn’t know was even part of the city at all. There is nothing around but dirt and fields and that factory with the smoke stacks that burn — what? In such a dreary place, the imagination can work overtime, especially being that they do put animals down.
Anyway, there is the office to the left, and then there is a room you can walk into, which is full of caged cats of various ages. The first thing they do as soon as you walk in is stand up and meow. The whole room becomes filled with their pathetic, desperate cries for attention. They want love and a family.
Then, you walk though this room into the area where they keep all the dogs. Perhaps because it was twilight when I visited, but the whole area just seemed really dark and a little bit scary. The dogs are not nearly as active as the cats and they just sort of lay there. It was really dusty because, from what I remember, part of their cages were exposed to the outside environment, and with nothing around but the flat fields, the wind can get pretty gusty, I’m sure.
I’ve volunteered for Animal Rescue of Tracy for the past three years, and I know that all the volunteer groups work together to save the animals and get them to good homes, but there is only so much they can do. Eventually, there is no more room for cats and older animals stay longer than the babies — everyone wants a puppy or a kitten. Room fills up fast, and the ones left at the shelter usually have no choice but to accept their dark fate.
How is keeping them at that rundown place any better than letting them run the streets?
The city really needs to get its act together. What is sad is that even things of high priority take months and years to even get started around here, and with the animal shelter so low on the list, it’s most likely that it’s going to be another 30 years before the “temporary” shelter gets replaced. But it only takes one step into that terrible “meow-schwitz” room to see that action needs to be taken sooner rather than later.
How is it that you were unable to pick up your dog on Saturday or Sunday when the Animal Shelter is open both of those days 12-5:30? Of course you have to pay a fine. You have to take some responsibility after the City picks up your dog running stray and houses it. Be thankful your dog didn't end up under a car tire.
Are there that many immature and impressable people in our town? It seems like every time you turn around soumeone's giving second or third thoughts on the animal issue without the full scoop.
I'd be embarrassed to advocate others shun the animals..do these type of immature people people kick dogs too?
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We weren't very happy when we went to the shelter Saturday night and then Sunday morning, someone finally let us in and gave us our dog back.
I have been to the Animal Shelter. You see what you want to see. Perhaps the existing shelter needs some repairs, but to suggest a larger one is required so more animals can be housed for longer stays to avoid termination is the wrong approach.
My suggestion: Animal Rescue advocates go door-to-door and examine every pet for sanitary, non-procreative conditions. Also, collect all the cats that are currently allowed to live in large numbers amid our neighborhoods (you know where they are).
Why over-populate a house with children or pets! The animal shelter, like many taxpayer-funded agencies, is about the growth of victimization.
Contrary to what we were told in the above letter. I believe that a visit to the animal shelter is a great idea.
I suggest you see their faces for yourself and then decide.
Ghandi once said you can judge a city by how they treat thier animals. And I think Tracy, CA gets highest marks for all they do for their pets.
I will say, it would be nice if more people would spay and neuter though. I would hate to see the author's request for dropping them off along the street come true.
Yer right and I did make a mistake. What threw me off track was TPs failure ta label th piece "Your voice" like they do with other letters.
I failed ta see it was writen by Kayla Tabaldi an considerin th length an th style I made an incorrect assumption it's origin was TP.
Sorry fer that. An no, I don't drink any type of alcohol fer anythang other than medicinal purposes an that's rare. Once or twice in th last ten years or so.
Still, it's no excuse fer makin such a dumb mistake an I do appreciate ya pointin it out ta me.
Please don't pay people to write letters that are designed to keep people from visiting the animal shelter? And I wondered why you are going bankrupt?
And by the way, thanks for the "tour" of Tracy. You're better than a GPS!
Th write is right about one thang though, it takes at least 15 minutes ta drive ta th place, if ya live on th corner of Linne Road an Corral Hollow, th exact opposite side of town from th animal control office.
As th crow flies that’s about 5.10 miles. Course ya can’t drive as th crow flies unless ya got one of them thair flyin cars that’s been in the news recently.
One route from Linne Road an Corral Hollow ta animal control is 7.2 drivin miles. That would take ya about 15 minutes. Course ya gotta negotiate them traffic lights that seem ta take about five minutes each ta cycle around; th curse of a city that has million dollar traffic lights at virtually intersection in town unlike 30 years ago when thair were only two and Tracy was about a third th physical size it is taday.
Th other route frum th corner of Linne an Corral Hollow runs ta th east side of townNorth on McArthur. That is slightly longer at 7.9 miles. But thair are less stop lights along that route so ya would probably get thair faster than going up Corral Hollow.
Perhaps th writer of this article started his or her journey from th TP office parkin lot an drove around Tracy once before arriving at Animal Control because that route should only be about 2.9 miles and go through 4 stop signs an three stop lights ta get thair.
Yep thairs a lot of dirt and th place is pretty dreary when ya get out thair but try as I may I just couldn’t find them thair smoke stacks burnin what ever. Parhaps he/she is talking about th gas flair at th sewage treatment plant across th railroad tracks ta th west of th place.
Livin in th area fer over thirty years I knew whair th place is. But most people are not as chronologically disadvantaged as I am so they might not know. Still, unless yer totally lost an without much drivin sense, it shouldn’t take ya 15 minutes ta get thair even if ya start on the southwest side of town out ta th north an west of th airport.
I guess that’s what’s called “creative journalism” an could very well be one of th problems TP is havin with financin thair paper.
As it so happens I visited th animal control office just last Saturday. A group of us were out thair lookin at a cat one member of th group was adoptin. Cute little guy, as were all th cats in th room.
But, “Pathetic, desperate cries for attention?” It’s obvious ta me an should be obvious ta anyone who has ever spent any time around a cat, especially ones locked in cages, don’t understand th entire situation here. It’s what cats who like humans do. Ya know, th type of cat ya would probably like ta adopt instead of somethang hissin a fit every time ya come near it. What else would ya logically expect in a place whair th goal is ta adopt out th cats instead of putting em down?
“Twilight?” Well that could explain th darkness but I would wonder why th editor of our paper would be out thair after 8 PM in th evening? I confess I don’t remember th hours of operation but I don’t thank th caretakers are thair at that time of day. But I could be wrong. Even so, I didn’t see th dirt an dust th writer wrote about. But I do wear glasses so perhaps I couldn’t see it in th dim light around 2 PM in th afternoon.
Yep, th dog kennels are partially outside. An as anyone knows who has ever lived in Tracy, no matter whair ya live in town, outside Tracy is a dusty place. Considerin thairs a lot of agricultural operations, a metal recycler nearby an th operations of th sewage treatment plant, I would expect th outside areas of th dog kennels ta be dusty. But I’d wager these animals, while they are not free ta roam around ta be abused an neglected by thair owners or left dodge traffic without being wiped out by cars, actually have it better than thair counterparts who have owners but are largely neglected an live outside in th back yard or on th street 100% of th time.
So why th negative reportin that paints th City and it’s council as bein uncaring when th real problem is th animals original owners? Maybe we should be findin homes fer th animals an put th owners down instead.
But perhaps th dumbest statement in th article is when th writer asks, “How is keeping them at that rundown place any better than letting them run the streets?”
Th writer claims ta have three years of volunteer work at th animal shelter and yet can articulate this stupid question? Give me a break please. Lettin em run on th streets is a better idea? An people thank I’m heartless.
Yeah, perhaps th city could get it’s act tagather but given th state of th world economy ya simply gotta put yer bucks ta work ta cover th really important thangs an if ya got some left over then ya can put it ta work on thangs like th animal shelter.
But if ya thank yer gonna end yer “meow-schwitz” problem, a term I find offensive in that it really denigrates th millions of Jews exterminated by the Nazis durin WWII, ya are goin ta have ta educate people an get em ta spay and neuter thair animals instead of lettin em breed, overpopulate th area an fend fer themselves on th streets of Tracy.
Yep it’s sad ta have ta put an animal down. But if ya have ever had ta deal with em bein run over by cars or get sick an die from malnutrition I am not sure th quick put down isn’t better than “letting them run the streets.”
Yes, let’s try ta make th place better but we don’t need ta start pointin fingers at th city or anyone else. If ya thank about it, in many cases there are enough other citizen targets ta point th finger of blame towards.
Ok TP, now that I've had my say about this poorly constructed article, ya can wipe it off yer web pages so no one else can read it just like ya usually do when people look at you instead of th city yer continually blastin with yer Pollyana perspective on th way thangs should be.
I know the community could do it, just matter of someone organizing it to make it happen.
Wish I were still in Tracy to get it started.
What about the churches? Could they help with the labor? What about volunteer center, could they help? Is there anyone who could set up organization to get the shelter in healthy state? Next is, will anyone be willing to donate the building materials? Anyone call Extreme Home Makeover..... for animals? (wink, hint, hint)That sure would put Tracy on the map!
I agree, the shelter is in such a sad and deplorable state!
CN
Keeping the animals at that rundown place is better than letting them run the streets. There you know they are being fed, and will not be ran over by a car or let out in the elements.
Maybe all the pet lovers could spend some time at the shelter sprucing it up. The city does not have the funds to do anything in this economy.