Last week we sent you a list of public pounds, or the groups which have the contract to perform as a public pound, which have not filed their animal records for 2004.

My note with it was critical of the organizations on that list, as we understood from the State Vet that those who had not filed 2004 records needed to be reminded, a task he has undertaken to do.  From that, it seemed to me that those listed were delinquent in filing and simply hadn’t complied with the law.

We have now found out this is not necessarily so.  Several groups contacted us, saying they have tried repeatedly to file their 2004 records, but have not been able to do so for a variety of reasons, most frequently because they have no password which is required to file.  They report that repeated requests to the State Vet for the password have gone unanswered, and so filing was not possible.  One or two said they mailed the records and assumed that was adequate.

However, none that took exception to being on our list had looked themselves at the VDACS site, and so had we not put this list together, perhaps no one would be the wiser, and the statistics, disseminated far and wide, would be taken as accurate.

The statistics are not accurate. 

At this time, there is no way to know how many groups have not filed because they just didn’t bother to do so, how many groups are waiting for instructions from the state on how to complete the filing, and how many think the steps they took to file were adequate and completed the requirement.

What’s the answer?

Does it make any difference if the animal records are kept at all?  or if kept, kept inaccurately?

Does it make any difference that it is our group, not the state, and apparently not reporting agencies themselves, that has determined this?

For those of you who have not gone to the VDACS site to view the 2004 animal records, please do so. 

http://www.virginia.gov/vdacs_ar/cgi-bin/Vdacs_search.cgi

Look at the pound for your county or city.  Is the information there useful and valuable?  Look at the record for a private group – an SPCA, a rescue, etc., and ask the same questions. 

I would be most interested in your response to this.  Maybe I am making too much of it, but I feel if there is no follow up on something this simple – and follow up should be incredibly easy to do – then perhaps that same mind set is ok in other activities of the State Vet, such as inspection of facilities.

Lillian Clancy and Don Marro