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Conference misery::feline_v1

Title:Meower Power is Valuing Differences
Notice:FELINE_V1 is moving 1/11/94 5pm PST to MISERY
Moderator:MISERY::VANZUYLEN_RO
Created:Sun Feb 09 1986
Last Modified:Tue Jan 11 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5089
Total number of notes:60366

3342.0. ""Too Much of a Good Thing"" by STAR::PMURPHY (The Paws That Refresh!) Fri Feb 16 1990 14:20

The following was printed in the New Hampshire Society for the Prevention 
of Cruelty to Animals Newsletter, Spring 1990:

"There is a saying that goes, 'You can have too much of a good thing."  
When you have too much of a good thing, that means there is a problem.  We 
here at the NHSPCA would like to address just such a problem, one we are 
dedicated to help solve.  It is the problem of pet overpopulation, 'too 
much of a good thing.'

Each year more than 12 million dogs and cats, puppies and kittens are 
surrendered to animal shelters, like the NHSPCA, across our country.  There 
are many reasons for this; some animals are lost, some are abandoned, some 
are unwanted but most are a result of uncontrolled breeding.  Sadly, nearly 
8 million of these animals have to be euthanized because there aren't 
enough good homes for all of them.

Pet overpopulation is a problem you can help solve by being a responsible 
pet owner as well as a caring citizen.  You can prevent a litter by having 
your pet spayed or neutered; by encouraging others to do the same and by 
passing the message along.

People must become aware of the problem before they can be expected to help 
with the solution.

Having your pet neutered is good for your pet, it's good for you and good 
for the community.  Your pet, when spayed or neutered, will live longer, be 
less likely to contract such diseases as uterine, ovarian and prostate 
cancer and they are less likely to roam.  You'll benefit from a pet that is 
healthier, more affectionate, free from the behaviors of a heat cycle and 
your animal will have a more even temperament.

Finally, your community will benefit.  Some communities spend up to one 
million dollars a year to control and eliminate unwanted animals.  
Responsible breeding will lessen the burden of surplus animals taxing the 
already overworked animal welfare system.  Fewer roaming animals will 
lessen the occurrence of dog bites and attacks.  A heightened awareness on 
the issue of animal overpopulation will lessen the suffering of those 
innumerable homeless and unwanted cats and dogs that do exist, today, in 
your community.

If you have a pet that is not spayed or neutered, please do so as soon as 
possible.  If you need assistance, call the NHSPCA and we'll connect you 
with organizations that can help.  Call (603)778-0963 and we'll be happy to 
answer any of your questions."

T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
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3342.1CRUISE::NDCPutiput Cattery - (DTN: 297-2313)Fri Feb 16 1990 15:0014
    AMEN  !!
    
    
    
    
    And thanks for taking the time to enter it.
    
    If anyone is interested, I have pamphlets available on the advantages,
    both behavioral and medical, to having your pets neutered.  I also
    have access to low cost spay applications through K&H Spay and
    Friends of Animals.  If I can help in any way at all please contact
    me.
      Thanks for caring.
        Nancy DC
3342.2yowsa, yowsa...CSCOA5::MCFARLAND_Djust call me dunwoody diMon Feb 19 1990 20:097
    
    ditto!
    
    there's nothing like *responsible* pet ownership...
    
    diane, the human owned by stella & stanley (both fixed)
    
3342.3success (I hope) storyNWACES::KORGENFri Mar 02 1990 14:5832
    After getting low-cost spay and neuter information from
    Nancy DC for my neighbors who have a bevy of feral barn cats,
    I finally got my courage up and went over to speak to
    them.  These folks seem suspicious and "keep to themselves"
    a lot.  When we turned over to them a litter we found of
    theirs under our house two years ago, they forced money
    on us to pay for the food we had been giving the kittens
    to keep them from starving, sort of to get rid of us, too.
    They are very possessive about the cats, even though they
    don't take care of them.  Maybe they just don't like us.
    But the point is, it was not easy to go over there, but after
    getting up my courage for two months (and seeing another
    poor skinny kitty pregnant last week), I DID go over and it
    went well.  "Gee," I said, "some lady at work was giving out these
    certificates and I immediately thought of you.  Would you
    like to have the info?  It must be difficult with so MANY cats.
    I know you said you liked to have them spayed.  Maybe this
    would make it easier.  I mean, we don't have cats" (a dead lie---
    we stole last year's abandoned litter from them and found
    them all good homes, keeping Ditto for ourselves) "so we can't
    really use them...can you?"  She was really very responsive.
    
    I guess the point is, there are cases where you can stick your
    neck out, and it's not really so hard as you think.  Every
    situation is different, but I think a lot of people are simply
    ignorant about how inexpensive it CAN be to neuter and spay.
    Why not gently inform them?
    
    Thanks to Nancy DC for spreading the word---and the practical
    means to follow through.
    
    Susan (watching over Ditto's cousins from afar)
3342.4we need more like Susan!EUCLID::PAULHUSChris @ MLO6B-2/T13 dtn 223-6871Fri Mar 02 1990 15:383
    re. last:  BRAVO Susan!  This is the kind of pro-active risk-taking
    action that is needed to combat so many problems. 
    	As they say down under - Good on 'ya!   - Chris
3342.5CRUISE::NDCPutiput Scottish Folds - DTN: 297-2313Mon Mar 05 1990 11:153
    Good for you Susan!  Let me know what comes from this.  Hopefully
    they'll make use of the applications.
      Nancy