Athens City Council postponed discussing a new ordinance aimed at controlling the pet population Monday night, but before you decide to buy a puppy for entertainment in Spring weather, you should understand the ordinance it will consider. As it stood, the law would have made it mandatory for all pets to be spayed and neutered, except in special circumstances, and all animals to be fitted with tracking microchips. A name, address and telephone number would be included in the surgically implanted chip that, when scanned, gives animal rescuers information needed to contact the rightful owner. Council was correct in sending the ordinance back to committee for discussion. Before they decide to implant a microchip in the beloved family pet, council members need to focus on the first part of the ordinance, enforcing mandatory sterilization.
Making sterilization the No.1 priority could be the key to controlling overpopulation and stray pets. The ordinance would allow for pets that are medically unable or younger than 6 months old to avoid the procedure. As council continues discussion, it should consider allowing owners to refuse surgery for their pets through a formal application process if they plan to breed or show them. The key to managing the general pet population can be solved not by implanting microchips, but by enforcing sterilization.
Questions still surround the issue of micro-chipping animals, and until they're answered, it's unrealistic to consider the option. There is no standard system for microchips or a standard device to read them. Until animal officials across the country agree on a uniform system, a collar can serve as identification. Trying to enforce the ordinance beyond city lines would be difficult and costly. Plus, most of the animals actually receiving a chip would be household pets whose responsible owners try to prevent loss and pregnancy. This would do little to solve the problem at hand: an overwhelming number of strays without an owner. Council was right to reconsider the ordinance because micro-chipping shouldn't be an option until it is streamlined and easily accessible. But by that time, the community may find there is little need for the technique because mandatory sterilization has improved the problem of pet overpopulation.
Ohio University students who prefer the evening hours to the early morning might applaud Duke University's decision to get rid of 8 a.m. classes to meet the needs of sleep-deprived students. Duke wants to reinforce the importance of adequate sleep as a part of overall wellness. On average, students are getting about an hour and a half less sleep a night than they did in the 1980s, and Duke is insisting that six or seven hours of sleep is hardly enough for a student who is supposed to have nine hours a night. Students quick to jump on the bandwagon banning morning classes should consider its effects, though. Just as much as some students might hate to wake up for their 8 a.m. class across campus, others might never contemplate having a class in the afternoon or evening. Although the schedule change might be beneficial for some, it is hardly functional for all.
An accommodating schedule is necessary for college students. Students in the '80s were sleeping more, but many of them didn't have demanding schedules that students face today. Whether the activity is a part-time job or a demanding sports program, students are planning their day around more than just academic courses. Some managers demand that their employees be out of class in time for a mid-day shift, and many coaches require their athletes to be done with class by noon. Duke's schedule changes might seem useful, but eliminating morning classes only limits valuable time options from students. Doing away with early sessions is not an answer for students suffering from time constraints or lack of sleep. If OU administrators want to resolve this issue, they should make sure that every class is offered both in the morning and afternoon or evening. When every minute counts, choices should be made available - not taken away. Early lectures might not be the most popular, but for many students they are the most practical.
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