"On April 27th, 2010, Alley Cat Rescue (ACR) will launch Free Feral Cat Spay Day to encourage the veterinary community and individuals to get involved in putting an end to cat homelessness and decreasing rates at local shelters." This campaign will help fight cat homelessness by advocating trap-neuter-return (TNR) programs.
Lousie Holton, ACR President, is asking vets all across the country to participate "on this important day by offering at least two free spay or neuters of feral cats to the public." Holton says, "We have a 'Perfect Storm' brewing in our country with the troubled economy causing many people to lose their homes, causing them to relinquish their pets. Unfortunately, when people find out that shelters may euthanize their animals, then turn to private rescuers; most of them are full to capacity and have to turn people away."
How many times have you thought, "Oh, it's a cat. They can fend for themselves"? That statement couldn't be further from the truth. "Many cats will die on the streets, but others will go on to form or join feral cat colonies and breed unwanted feral kittens," says Holton.
The first step in the fight against pet overpopulation is preventing unwanted animals from being born. If 40,000 vets across the U.S. participate in these free clinics 80,000 cats will be fixed, "stopping hundreds of thousands of unwanted animals from being born".
The first spay/neuter clinic that ACR helped organize was held in Spring of 2007. Veterinarians traveled from all across the country to Puerto Vallerta, Mexico. Holton says, "ACR was contacted, by an American working in Mexico, who has a passion for animals, and asked if ACR could send help to curb the overpopulation problem; so, we jumped at the opportunity to come over with some vets from the US and our expertise with working with stray animals." One vet, Dr. Bill Pearce from Texas, had previously participated in these spay/neuter clinics in Mexico. When he was asked why he did it, Dr. Pearce said, "Why do you do this? Because it's the right damn thing to do. And what brings me out? Because I can." It's veterinarians like these who make a difference, who "understand the importance and impact they can make" on the lives of countless animals.
"By creating this nationally recognized day-Free Feral Cat Spay Day-Alley Cat Rescue hopes to strengthen the relationships between clients and veterinarians and the relationship between humans and stray/feral cats." Though there is no simple solution to the overpopulation problem you can help by getting involved, banning together and seeing this project through. To find out more on how to help, contact ACR at 301-277-5595.
About Alley Cat Rescue
"Alley Cat Rescue is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare of all cats: domestic, stray, feral, and wild. We are a no-kill shelter and strongly advocate TNR programs for feral cats. ACR has sterilized over 22,000 in MD and operates an adoption program at a local PETsMART store." For more information please visit their website at www.saveacat.org.
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