NO Excuse!

"Spay and neuter, spay and neuter" yada, yada, yada.......

Are you bored yet? Everyone knows, or should by now, that spaying and neutering cats and dogs is the only answer to the pet overpopulation problem, the problem that causes shelters all over the country to have to euthanize healthy, adoptable pets because there are not enough homes for them.
I guess what I don't understand is WHY people still don't spay and neuter their pets! What part of spay and neuter don't they understand??? There is just no excuse for it!


"It costs too much money."
WRONG. Foothills Humane Society has the Humane Alliance Program which costs $8.00 to spay or neuter a dog or cat. That’s what lunch costs these days. And if you truly cannot afford that, the Shelter will still help spay or neuter your pet! Call them at 828-863-4444.

"I want my dog/cat to have the experience of having a litter."
WRONG. I've never had a litter and trust me, I don't miss it. And for you big, macho guys, guess what? I don’t miss running in front of cars or going without eating because I am so obsessed with the scent of a female in heat! And by the way, I’m still as macho as they come!

"I'm afraid Fluffy will die going under the knife."
WRONG. Fluffy is a whole lot more likely to die having a litter than when she is having surgery, as long as she is healthy.

"I work all day and don't have time to take my dog/cat to the clinic."
WRONG. Bet you make time to go to the store, or eat lunch and dinner, don't you? You can drop your pet off at the Shelter on Humane Alliance day as early as 6:30 am and if you make arrangements ahead of time with the Shelter, the staff and volunteers will work with you about the timing of picking up your pet. You can also get a coupon from the shelter to help with the cost of spaying or neutering and you can then use the vet of your choice.

"I want to breed my terrific hunting dog."
WRONG. Just because the parent dog is a good hunting dog does not mean the puppies will be any good. You have a better chance of finding the right dog for you by carefully choosing one at the Shelter. And trust me when I say that a lot of good hunting dogs wind up in the Shelter.

"I love Pumpkin and want her to have just one litter....."
WRONG. There are too many dogs and cats already! Sure, you say, you can always find homes for these animals – only sometimes you can’t, and when you do, you are taking one more home away from the homeless ones. And that means that one more pet will be euthanized!

"I want my kids to see the miracle of birth."
WRONG. You're definitely sending the wrong message on this one. I'm not much of a TV watcher but I know you can rent a DVD or watch the miracle of birth online and not contribute to this terrible overpopulation problem!

It's a guy thing."
WRONG! Oh, for goodness’ sake.......c'mon guys! Y’all are smarter than that! Be a part of the solution instead of being the problem! It has nothing to do with you and how macho you are. Even a big dog like me knows that!

"I just want to let Nature take its course."
WRONG, WRONG, WRONG! Isn't there enough suffering and death already without adding to it? This is a simple, inexpensive solution to a lot of different problems!

Between 5 and 10 million pets are euthanized -- that is, put to death -- every single year in this country. (Yep, I said between 5 and 10 MILLION.) Imagine the pain of the people who have to euthanize these precious animals....and the tax dollars that have to pay for it! That is almost incomprehensible to me. Closer to home, two weeks ago in the span of only one hour, 17 cats and kittens were brought to the Shelter. One hour! The Shelter only has room for about 45 cats at a time, so you do the math......and you'll know that this is definitely not a good thing.
Humans bring litter after litter of puppies and kittens to the Shelter. They are asked if they want help spaying and neutering the parents, but they often have some lame excuse as to why they aren't going to do it! Well, they might not mind that many of the puppies and kittens brought in have to be euthanized, but let me tell you, the Shelter staff minds! They desperately want to adopt out all of the animals but there are just not enough homes!
And yes, it is always better to take them to the Shelter than to dump them on the side of the road. At least they will be put to death humanely. When they are dumped somewhere, they can get run over, or suffer and die a slow death of starvation and disease. Some are picked up by good people and brought to the Shelter, but then the staff and volunteers don't know the dog or cat's history and that makes it harder for them. Often they don't get to the Shelter until they have been injured or have gone without food for awhile, or have gotten sick, which makes it harder to adopt them out.
I really hope someone out there has some grand idea for getting the word out about spaying and neutering to the folks that need to hear it. If you do, please write to me c/o my blog at the Tryon Daily Bulletin or email me at champtherapydog@gmail.com. Two heads, or in this case, maybe a few hundred heads, are better than one!

On a much happier note, I was at Polk Central for the after school program and several of the students formed a pyramid with me in the middle, as you can see in the photo! (Get it? Pyr-amid?) It was a fun time and it amazed me how quickly they managed to do this maneuver!

And have I mentioned that the Humane Society is having an auction? As the Official Spokesdog, I would like to say that if anyone has one or more items they would like to donate, please contact Steve King at 859-7054, and he will happily arrange for the items to be picked up.


Woof!

CHAMP
P.S. June is "Adopt a Shelter Cat" month! Please help us save their lives and adopt one today!

Everyone in the picture is approved to have their photos published. The students are, starting at the top and coming down the right hand side of Champ:

Calab Byers
Regina Dotts
Amber Miller
Martin Ewing-Macchietto
Larry Dyer
Chyanne Davis