DEAR READERS: All the neighbors with whom I have spoken here in Golden Valley, Minnesota did not know that our state’s Animal Humane Society (AHS) is releasing cats, in all weather, to fend for themselves. This is their “Community Cats” program. They have no registered volunteers feeding these cats once they’re released.

In June, I took two black cats that had come onto our property to the AHS. The first one turned out to be one of their “Community Cats,” with the tip of her left ear cut (yet not visibly different at a distance). She had been out all winter. The AHS released her, and she was back on our property 24 hours later.

The second cat was a young male, and he, too, was back on our property 24 hours after being taken to the AHS. As they did for the first cat, the group neutered him and gave him an anti-rabies vaccination, but did not worm him or test him for feline leukemia and immunodeficiency disease. Parasites can cause cats to suffer and die from anemia and starvation, and the viral diseases (and others preventable by vaccine) could infect other cats.

This is not a legitimate or safe way to reduce the overall cat population.

The second cat was very sociable toward me: rubbing against my legs as I coaxed him with food and easily put him in a cat crate. Yet he was deemed “unadoptable” by the AHS behavioral evaluation staff, who also put his age at over 3 years (rather than my estimate of around 10 months).

With a doctoral degree in animal behavior and three books on cat care and behavior under my belt, I find this utterly incomprehensible. The cat was given no time to settle into the shelter environment, where he would naturally be fearful, before coming to trust his new caregivers. He is now settling into our home, after appropriate veterinary tests and treatment for parasites, and we hope to find a forever home for him. Perhaps he was considered not adoptable principally because he is black, a color many people associate with bad luck.

This nationwide practice of TNR (trap, neuter, release) is cruel and unwarranted, putting cats, wildlife and public health at risk. It is part of a broader societal pro-life ideology, based on some feel-good moralistic sentiment that causes more harm than good. It is endorsed by national organizations such as the Humane Society of the United States, where the politics and economics of appeasement put such organizations in an ethically untenable position.

Instead of this TNR program, the AHS should be focusing on: establishing group housing for the emotional recovery of rescued cats; working with cities and communities to establish ordinances prohibiting people from allowing their cats to roam off-property; licensing cats and mandating neutering and microchipping.

TNR is advertised as a tool to reduce feral cat numbers. Unfortunately, these programs have been shown to fail to do so.

For more details, see the “Trap, Neuter, Release” page from the American Bird Conservancy: abcbirds.org/program/cats-indoors/trap-neuter-release/

DEAR DR. FOX: We have moved into a new neighborhood, and it breaks my heart when I drive around and hear one dog after another barking and howling.

They are so lonely. We call the police, and they say “talk to the neighbors,” but there’s nobody at home. That’s why the dogs are so lonely. What are these people doing? Do they know how their dogs are suffering? What to do? -- M.K., Cleveland, Ohio

DEAR M.K.: My wife and I have the same problem where we live, in a suburb of Minneapolis.

Our municipal ordinance states: “It is unlawful for anyone to keep a dog or cat that barks, howls or meows excessively or continuously. This includes any noise by any dog or cat that can be heard by any person from a location outside the building where the animal is kept AND occurs repeatedly over at least a five-minute period of time, with less than 30 seconds between each animal noise.”

So check with your local animal control department. In my opinion, this is a nationwide problem, and a sad reflection of the quality of life of many dogs. They are basically pack animals, and suffer when left alone all day. Separation anxiety can lead to other behavioral and medical problems, as well as disturbing others in the community. It can be risky going over to speak to dog owners about their dogs barking and howling as I have learned from personal experience. Best to call the authorities.

Many people who are away at work all day and leave their dogs at home might consider asking neighbors if there are any problems, or using an in-home video recorder to see what their dogs do when they are gone. Much can be done to help dogs feel less insecure when left alone all day, which is a responsibility all owners should embrace.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxVet.net.)

DEAR READERS: I have raised the issue of using remote-controlled, bark-activated or fence-line triggering shock collars on dogs, voicing my disapproval of such devices -- with rare exceptions, such as their use by sensitive and experienced dog handlers, including many veterinarians.

British veterinarian Dr. Mike Smith, from my natal county of Lancashire, had fence-line triggering collars on his two Labradors, and by the age of 12, they both developed laryngeal paralysis. He wonders if there is a connection between this malady and the electrical field created by the capacitor in the collars. The collars were rarely triggered once the dogs were conditioned to keep away from the electrical fence line.

Any experiences from readers whose dogs have developed laryngeal paralysis, and had been wearing these kinds of collars, would be appreciated.

Apparently, laryngeal paralysis has recently become quite a common condition in dogs in the U.K. Genetics may be involved, as well as the dogs’ environments. Many, left alone all day, bark and howl for hours. Could this, and the use of various shock-collar systems, be contributing factors? And if addressed, might this condition be preventable?

We should also consider possible damage caused by dogs pulling hard when on a leash, and wearing narrow collars and choke-chains. Tracheal collapse, especially in small breeds, can be avoided by putting them in a harness instead.

DEAR DR. FOX: My wife and I are retirees with a young dog. We have two off-leash dog parks near where we live, but our dog will not go and run or play with the other dogs. She just stays close to us, but we want her to get some exercise. She’s a rescued 2-year-old Australian heeler, and has no interest in chasing balls or Frisbees. What would you advise? -- R.M., Minneapolis, Minnesota

DEAR R.M.: My wife and I have the same problem with our dog, also a rescue and mainly Australian red heeler. On rare occasions, she will have a game of chase with a friendly dog, but that is the exception for her.

You might try what gets our Kota running: On walks, my wife holds her leash while I walk way ahead, and then she lets Kota go, who runs like the wind to me. Then I walk with the dog and eventually let her run back when my wife calls her. In the off-leash enclosed dog area nearby, we stand about 50 yards apart, and Kota is happy to run from one of us to the other. She has never been a “runaway” kind of dog -- truly a heeler. She knows she has a forever home, and her attachment to us is probably in part due to some PTSD and fear of abandonment.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxVet.net.)

DEAR READERS: Andrew Jacobs, in his July 9 New York Times article “Opposition to Breast-feeding Resolution by U.S. Stuns World Health Officials,” reports that “the U.S. delegation, embracing the interests of infant formula manufacturers, upended deliberations” at a United Nations-affiliated World Health Assembly of hundreds of global government delegates.

The topic was a resolution, based on decades of research, ”that mother’s milk is healthiest for children, and countries should strive to limit the inaccurate or misleading marketing of breast milk substitutes.” Countries such as Ecuador were threatened with punishing trade measures and withdrawal of U.S. military aid if they did not withdraw the resolution.

So can ”we the people” in the United States trust government regulatory agencies when it comes to other matters? These include the safety and efficacy of vaccines for our children and pets; the risks of pesticides on the crops that we and farmed animals consume; and the quality and safety of manufactured pet foods and baby foods. Trust, transparency and accountability are the hallmarks of democracy and corporate responsibility.

Such an exhibition of U.S. pandering to, and bullying for, corporate interests at this international world health gathering gives new credence to the term “ugly American.” It is up to us, the people, to make America first in ethics, honesty, justice and compassion -- rather than a nation of corporate hegemony and corruption.

DEAR DR. FOX: Our 11-year-old female Yorkie has been diagnosed with glomerulonephritis (GN). We have started her on benazepril and fish oil. I have increased the oatmeal and reduced the protein in the homemade patties I make for her, using an adaptation of your recipe. She also gets a small amount of Organix dry kibble for small dogs mixed in.

What is your advice for this condition? Are there other things we can do to prevent further progress of this condition?

As a side note, she has had urinary problems all of her life. After bringing her to multiple vets, it was determined that she needed added estrogen to help control incontinence. She received the hormone until two years ago, when she became very ill for a reason that was never discovered and she had to come off of everything. There were no problems after taking her off the hormone, so it was discontinued permanently. The illness and her refusal of commercial prescription dog food resulted in my starting her on the homemade dog food mixed with natural kibble, which has resulted in better health aside from the kidney problem. -- M.W., Naples, Florida

DEAR M.W.: You are on the right track with your dog, and I must say that good nutrition from the start could possibly have prevented her chronic renal health problem. You also confirm an all-too-common problem with manufactured prescription diets: Many dogs and cats refuse to eat them.

Do not give her much kibble, because there is evidence that kibble can upset the immune system and trigger inflammatory responses. I like some of the freeze-dried dog foods like Stella and Chewy’s, Sojo’s and The Honest Kitchen. Cornucopia (cornucopiapetfoods.com) is one of the top-rated canned foods for dogs and cats.

On my website, you will find steps to take for dogs with chronic kidney issues, which will help you keep your dog as healthy as possible with this condition.

DEAR DR. FOX: I wrote you in 2014 that I adopted two feral kittens by throwing treats to them and gaining their trust. Now the white one has tested positive for FLV/FIV: feline leukemia and the other immunodeficiency virus.

He was eating fine up until two weeks ago. When he skipped a meal entirely on June 21, after eating many unenthusiastically, I took him in. They gave me three options: euthanasia, chemotherapy and prednisolone. I took the latter. He is declining fast, and I’m taking him in tomorrow for an ultrasound. My regular vet thinks he has cancer and will look into cancer drugs, depending on what the ultrasound shows.

Right now, he’s in extreme pain often, and has to lie flat for it to subside. I think it has to do with pressure caused by eating, bowel movements and moving. In fact, I think he had this a year ago and even earlier! I was carrying him back home one time and he started crying in pain. I set him down on the ground and he laid out flat, then recovered after a few seconds, just like he’s doing now. In fact, I told the vet about this last August (after bringing him in for scratching for fleas) and she said she didn’t know why he was in pain.

I think last year this should have been considered as a possible serious problem. Bloodwork and an ultrasound were in order, and might have revealed FLV/FIV way earlier, giving us more time to try treatments. -- D.L., Maryland Heights, Missouri

DEAR D.L.: I am sorry to hear about your cat testing positive for these diseases.

In my opinion, all cats and kittens rescued from the outdoors should be tested for these two contagious feline diseases: feline leukemia virus (FLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) on their first appointment with a veterinarian. It blows my mind that animal rescue organizations, such as the Animal Humane Society in Minnesota, are releasing cats into our communities, as are many other shelters and cat rescue organizations across the country, without checking them for these two contagious feline diseases.

Cats testing positive should be quarantined, and other cats living with them should also be tested to see if they are infected. Infected cats can be helped in many instances by avoiding stress, giving lysine and other supplements, and avoiding immune system-compromising additional vaccines. Prednisolone helps subdue an over-reactive immune system. Because of the added stress, both physical and psychological, to most cats, I am not an advocate of repeated invasive treatments such as chemotherapy.

The questions of quality of life, and of “doing everything possible” in diagnosing and treating disease, which may not be in the animal’s best interest, is a central issue in a recently convened European veterinary ethics working party. But this is no consolation to you at this time.

From the declining state of your poor cat, I would advise euthanasia, along with having the other cat tested for possible infection.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxVet.net.)