DATES TO PUT ON YOUR CALENDAR
S.O.A.P.S MEETING 7 PM – Third Monday of the month:, Nov. 18, Dec. 16
“Real Squeal BBQ and Music Festival”
Marcia reported that we cleared $283 off our booth at the Real Squeal. She appreciates everyone who helped.
Clean Up Day at Therisa’s
Therisa has 13 kennels that need to be cleaned. Saturday, November 9th is the day for any who can to go to her house to help. We will take dogs out of pens, clean pen, socialize dog while that kennel is being cleaned.
CRAM THE VAN
Our next fundraiser will be Cram the Van, which will be Saturday, November 23rd from 9 AM to 3 PM at Wal-Mart. We will have to stop handing out flyers at 2 PM to give people time to get product out to us.
We will need to pick up the van from Bob Webster on the 22nd. We will need to be at Wal-Mart at 8:30 AM on the 23rd, on the sidewalk section between the two sets of doors.
Animal toys, blankets, pet food, gift cards, and SCOOPABLE litter are the biggest items needed.
Adopt-a-thon
We will have a Foster Adopt-a-thon on Saturday, December 7 from 11 AM to 4 PM at Tractor Supply.
Transporting
We have been moving about 100 animals per month, until about two weeks ago. This is a bad time for rescues. Big dogs aren’t being moved. We have a lot of animals to take care of right now. Transportation is the key issue, we have a huge need. We have to pay people to take animals to transport areas. HELP!
The Money Issue
We are running out of funds. At the rate we are going, we could be out of money by next year.
It is up to each member to attend meetings, come to events to help out, take fosters if you can, transport animals if you can’t foster. Advocate spay/neuter to EVERYONE you see or talk to.
Write to your elected officials to get ordinances or laws on the books to mandate spay/neuter; It’s a lot like forest fires. Only YOU can prevent unwanted pets. PLEASE, PLEASE HELP. You joined SOAPS to DO, not sit on the sidelines.
The Benefits of Spaying or Neutering Your Pet
Spaying and neutering refer to the surgical sterilization of an animal. In other words, spaying and neutering ensures that your pet cannot reproduce.
Pets are typically spayed or neutered when they are 4-6 months old although the procedure can be done from as early as 8 weeks old through to adulthood. It is best to have this surgery done before your pet reaches sexual maturity. Females should be spayed before their first heat. Some vets will also perform pediatric spay/neuter. Please consult with your vet.
We all have a responsibility to prevent unwanted animals from being euthanized every day, simply because there are no homes for them. Even if your pet has a litter and you find homes for all of them, each of those pets takes a potential home away from other homeless pets waiting in a shelter. But aside from this responsibility, there are also significant health benefits for your pet.
Benefits of Spaying
- Prevents pregnancy and the complications arising from pregnancy and delivery
- Eliminates the heat cycle – you won’t have to listen to the sounds of your female in heat, trying to get out and find a mate
- Prevents unwelcome males from trying to seek out your female pet in heat
- Reduces the urge to roam. This makes it less likely that you will lose your pet, which in turn makes your pet less likely to contract a disease, get in a fight, get injured, or become a victim to cruelty, poison, or traffic.
- Reduces or eliminates the possibility of disease in the reproductive system.
Benefits of Neutering
- Reduces the distracting and destructive behavior associated with the male’s efforts to get out and find a mate
- Reduces the urge to roam. This makes it less likely that you will lose your pet, which in turn makes your pet less likely to contract a disease, get in a fight, get injured, or become a victim to cruelty, poison, or traffic.
- Eliminates sexual discomfort, distress, or distraction … making your pet happier and more content.
- Eliminates testicular tumors and reduces prostate gland problems.
- In cats, neutering stops or reduces marking behavior (territorial spraying of urine).
- Reduces the urge to fight.
http://www.pawsperouspets.com/tips
Pet Adoption – Reasons to Adopt from an Animal Shelter
Loving pets of all sizes and shapes are waiting in animal shelters, hoping to find a permanent home.
Shelter animals can make wonderful, life-long companions if only given the chance. People often think shelters contain only the “rejects”: pets that have a health or behavior problem. This is not true; shelters are filled with animals who would like nothing more a chance at a happy life, and their own family to share it with.
There are so many reasons for adopting from a shelter:
Shelters have all types of pets: mixed breeds, purebreds, big and small pets … pets are vet-checked and healthy, ready for their new homes.
You save money. Shelter pets are far less expensive than those you would find at a pet store or a breeder.
Pets are vet-checked, vaccinated, and dewormed. You also get literature on caring for new your pet, plus support and guidance from shelter staff if you have questions.
Shelter pets make wonderful companions. Some have never had a home, others were abandoned or surrendered by their previous owners. Some are the victims of divorce, illness, allergies, a new baby, inexperienced owners, a move that didn’t include them, and many other reasons.
But most shelter pets are loving animals that are grateful to have a second chance at a happy life. They can and do bond with their new owners, and become the most devoted and loving of family pets.
You save a life, and do your part in combatting pet overpopulation. A sad fact of life is that there are far too many homeless pets than there are loving homes to care for them. When you adopt from a shelter, you save a life and free up a cage for another needy animal waiting to be adopted. Your money goes towards running the shelter, and pet education. All of this, and you gain a loving companion too!