Somebody Got it Right - Congratulations Mrs. Natalie Tate!

Written by TNKN contributor Sue Cosby

When you’ve spent your life working for the welfare of animals, what an honor it must be for your surviving family to have a shelter named after you.  Not so for the family of the late Milton Tate, D.V.M. who was not so thrilled and more than a little upset when they heard that the City of Kennett, Missouri was going to build a ’dog pound’ instead of an animal shelter like they expected.

“If you’re going to build a pound, then leave his name off it,” said Natalie Tate pointing out that her late husband was well known for refusing to euthanize an animal unless it was absolutely necessary. 

At some point in our history, the lines blurred between “animal control” and “animal welfare” and the toxic result was “it’s humane to kill”.   While Humane Societies, Animal Welfare Societies and Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals might perform animal control as a part of their service, their names - in and of themselves - project the true nature of their work and what should be their true mission:  Providing for the welfare and humane treatment of animals. 

“So it’s up to you to decide if you are going to build a shelter or a dog pound,” Natalie Tate said in her closing remarks at a Kennett City Council meeting.

Mrs. Tate - I love you!  Thank you for standing up for your late husbands value, principles and reputation!  I do hope that there someday will be a Milton Tate Animal Shelter that will make your family proud.

The source for this post was an article in the July 18, 2008 Daily Dunklin Democrat: “Tate reiterates objection to naming ‘dog pound’ for late husband” by Deanna Coronado and George Anderson.