Holiday giving, going beyond to help your shelter

I mentioned I would post other ideas and things to help your local shelters. Well I wanted to talk about a dear friend who truly goes above and beyond to help our shelter. She is also a very big supporter of spaying and neutering your pets so we don't have the sad jobs of euthanizing so many unwanted animals.

Some time ago she decided to raise money to help the shelter help others with a spay and neuter fund. She and her husband own a local business here, for auto repair. In her spare minutes she makes these magnificent origami peace cranes and sells them at $5 each. All the proceeds of the sales goes to the shelter's spay and neuter fund. She also takes in gently used books to sell for a buck or two and that money also goes to the fund.

Those of us who are honored to have her as a friend also catch her contagious drive to help with all efforts to raise funds and supplies for our shelter. This past summer, she got us all out to go through our closets to clean out old linens, blankets, towels etc to donate and to compete to help donate the most pet food as the shelter had just taken in a fair amount of dogs from a hoarder north of our town and they needed help to provide for care for the new residents. My goodness, not only alot of us, her friends, turned out to help, but her customers filled a vehicle with pet food to donate also.

Her current project is the new thrift shop at the shelter's spay and neuter and wellness clinic in town and raising donated items to sell there to help raise funds.  She has asked us to donate to the store directly or bring them to her business and she'll make sure they make it to the store.

She truly is an amazing and inspiring lady. We all love her dearly and are very honored to have her as our friend.

Here are some of her peace cranes, if you are interested in them, please let me know and I'll be happy to email you with her information to order one.

Why adopt? Why Spay and Neuter?

I am sure I have covered this topic once before, however, it is one that bears repeating. And I wish to add this disclaimer, I am not an expert on this, and the numbers may be old, but they will give you a general picture and the message is still the same.

First a few statistics on euthanasia and the shelters:

1. 
   

   Every day approximately 70,000 puppies and kittens are born in this country while only 10,000 people are born. 

   
   


2. 
   

   Every year over 6 million animals are euthanized in shelters for lack of available homes.  If the number were "only" 7 million, that would mean 135,000 PER WEEK, or 20,000 pets euthanized EVERY 24 HOURS.  365 DAYS A YEAR!

   
   


3. 
   

   An animal is euthanized in the U.S. every 2 seconds.

   
   


4. 
   

   On average, 64% of all animals taken into shelters nationwide have to be euthanized for the simple reason that there is no room for them or no home.

   
   


5. 
   

   The animals at animal control shelters are not "problem" animals. The animals available for adoption have been picked up as strays or taken from the owner for abuse, or neglect. They are truly in need of a loving home and are greatly appreciative for a second chance at life.  

   
   


6. 
   

   At least 50% of the overpopulation problem is non-neutered males.  Females can't do it alone.

   
   


7. 
   

   Purebreds account for 30% off all the animals in shelters.  "Papers" don't mean an animal should be bred.

   
   


8. 
   

   For every home you find for an animal that you have bred, a home is lost for a shelter animal.

   
   


9. 
   

   Breeding to "see the miracle of birth" demands that you also "see the tragic results".  Visit a shelter and watch a puppy being euthanized for every puppy your "miracle of birth" delivered.

   
   


10. 
    

    Animal overpopulation has reached a crisis point in this country

    
    

Now, some myths about spaying and neutering

 Most of these myths have been passed along for many years without any basis in fact. People still believe false statements like: "It will calm her down to have a litter" and "He needs to sow his oats," or "It will make her/him more protective." These are all inaccurate viewpoints and flat nonsense; and you have probably heard them all! Let’s look at a few more.

"My dog is a purebred so it's ok if I breed"  The fact is that 25% of all animals found in a shelter are AKC or UKC purebreds. There is no guarantee of quality. In fact, most times purebred animals have some serious medical and behavioral problems, due to inbreeding.

"My pet is a male; I won’t have any litters"  These animals are a very big part of the pet overpopulation problem since they escape and breed with females in heat. They roam more, are more aggressive and sire hoards of litters for someone else to raise, or destroy because they are unadoptable.

"It cost too much"  It will cost you a lot more to care for the puppies created by the dog!  And there are many, many low cost to free spay and neuter clinics. It is affordable!

"My children should see the miracle of birth"  School programming, virtual computers or films can convey the same information in a more caring way.

"She needs to have at least one litter"  Does a woman need to have at least one child? Having a litter does not in any way improve or change a pet's disposition.

"Spaying & neutering is painful for the pet."  How painful is giving birth? Surgery is performed under anesthesia and animals are usually back on their feet into normal activities within 24 to 72 hours. This slight discomfort is not harmful and prevents the suffering and death of hundreds of unwanted animals that could be born if you do not spay or neuter your pet.

"If I neuter him, he won't be as protective."  Instinct is not affected by hormones.  In fact, most pets when neutered will actually be more protective and loyal to their owners and will have reduced desires to wander, mark territory and fight with other animals.

"They'll get fat and lazy".  Not true! Pets get fat because of improper feeding and or exercise. They like us, if fed too much and too little exercise will get fat.

"A litter will calm my animal and having a litter will be better for her" Veterinary medical evidence says otherwise. This is just not true.

"Only females need to be fixed, it's not my responsibility"Not true, it takes two to make a litter. This is a chauvinistic idea that pregnancy is all the woman's fault. It is everyone's responsibility.

"My pet is special"  Every animal is special. Most will never be duplicated. Think of all those special animals that are killed daily. Adoptees are very special animals.

If this section still has not convinced you to neuter your animal, go visit a shelter. I challenge you to spend some time there. Ask when they euthanize animals & witness how the animals cringe, defecate in fear, and act when they are taken out to be killed. Look them in the eyes and explain why you do not want to neuter your pet.

Now..... all this being said, please spay and neuter your pet! And please promise to adopt from your shelter for your next pet(s), or if you can, offer to foster pets from the shelter so they may have more room to help other pets in need. If we are proactive about spaying and neutering, helping shut down puppy mills, eventually someday I would like to hope that there will be less animals, who deserve a life just as much as we do, lose theirs before they can experience it.