Question about animal cops/animal control (long)

shakespearenluv

I had a really bad situation happen in my backyard with a sick racoon last night.  I am very sensitive to animals and ran into the phone book to try to figure out who to call to come help the animal.  I found the number for KCMO animal control and when I called they asked if the animal was dead.  I said no, but it is suffering and something needs to be done.  She said they only pick up wild animals if they're dead.

So I found a number for Critter Control.  All I got was the answering machine over and over.

I was so upset that I couldn't find a person to help me or the animal in this situation.  I cannot stand for innocent animals to suffer.  I wished with all my might that we would have the ASPCA or some type of Wildlife Humane Society (and maybe we do) but I didn't think so and couldn't find anything when I tried to do a google search.  I stood nearby and sadly watched the racoon convulse and take his last breaths while looking straight into my eyes. 

I ended up calling animal control and when they got there it was just two guys talking on their cell phones and laughing.  I was crying while they were doing this.  They asked me if I had a trashbag so I went and got one from my kitchen.  The comment that haunted me most was when I asked them if they do any testing to see if it was rabies or see how the animal was wounded.  They said that most the time people put poison out to kill racoons and possums.  Of course, I started crying even harder.  Yes, they could be considered a nuisance animal but what kind of person would put poison out to kill a wild animal that's just doing what is in their nature?

I was sad and depressed last night but now I'm just angry.  Why doesn't KC have the ASPCA or the Animal cops like on Animal Planet?  Where should I have turned to?  All I wanted to do was end the racoons suffering and instead it suffered in horrible pain for an hour before it died?

I know this might not bother some people but these types of things really affect me.  I'm super emotional right now but I just wish we had better contacts for something like this.

pennyandandy

I don't have an answer for you, but I wanted to tell you that I would have reacted the same way. How horribly cruel of them...

I thought that animal control's job was to pick up misplaced/sick/abandoned animals? Not dead ones?

RobynF

Oh that's so sad.  I would have been upset as well.  I don't know of anything in KC like ASPCA, but maybe try a post on Craigslist? There are some pretty animal-smart peeps over there. 

E&D07

I am so sorry you had to deal with that; it's so sad. The animal control guys were horrible- even if they deal with animal death every day, they should've realized how difficult it was for you and had some compassion and courtesy.

I found the Humane Society of Kansas City's website through a link from Wayside Waifs, and they have some links to wild animal care organizations and animal advocacy organizations.

http://www.hsgkc.org/resources.html#wildcare

MelZull

I know the LS animal control will pick  up an animal if it is suffering and not only already dead animals. Sorry you had to go through that last night, and it really is a shame that the men there did not have any compassion at all.

mrsbnlmel

I know exactly how you feel. Unfourtunately the funding it takes to run an organization like the ASPCA must not be there. They probably don't get enough funds in NYC either since you see the commercials soliciting donations all the time. It is terrible.
 
I do know, the "animal cops" you see on TV are actual police officers with the ability to arrest people and charge people with crulety and neglect. In our area the animal control officers aren't police officers and don't have the authority to do anything of that nature. It is an undervalued, under paid and overworked job. Even if the people they attract are compassionate they end up burnt out. 

I could go on and on about all of that too...anyway hopefully this will help you in the future.

 http://www.owl-online.org/

This is an organization out near lawrence but they get calls to KC all the time. We have taken an injured bird and bunny to them. They are wonderful people. They also have a recieving center in Shawnee at 75th and Neiman.