Contents:
Kitten Season Is Here
Puppies by the Pound
Doggie Detail
Upcoming Events
The Doctor's Orders
Mission Statement
Contact Us
Newsletter Staff
It's that time again. The daffodils have bloomed, the sun sits in bright blue skies and warm weather makes longer visits. Spring has arrived! And waiting to make its grand entrance is what we at the Humane Society call "kitten season." Literally hundreds of litters of kittens will be born in the next few weeks right here in Floyd County and a huge percentage of those kittens will die. Many will find their way into traffic or the jaws of wild animals. Most will end up at our county's Animal Control facility and be euthanised. Some will manage to survive in the wild as members of feral cat colonies, living without the benefit of loving homes, proper nutrition or medical care.
There is a way to curb this breeding cycle and the answer is sterilization. There are already too many cats and dogs out there without homes. If you have a pet please have it spayed or neutered and encourage sterilization of pets when you talk with fellow pet-owners.
There are a few individuals out there who have found themselves and their property adopted by a colony of feral cats. If you or anyone you know is feeding one of these colonies please contact us. Last December we implemented a new spay/release program as a way to control the over-population of these cats in the wild. Volunteers from our society work very hard one week each month to catch as many cats as possible. A local veterinarian volunteers a day during that week to spay or neuter these cats and they are then returned to their own environment to live out the remainder of their natural lives. Since December we have sterilized about 75 cats. That's roughly 500 kittens that won't have to be born into the wild this year! We expect this number to rise steadily and will continue to provide updates in this newsletter.
Please remember that the only requirement for our help with your feral cats is that the colony is being fed and someone is keeping an eye on them. Our primary purpose is to spay and neuter as many wild cats as we possibly can in an effort to curb reproduction. There is no charge for this service.
If you would like to support this program there are many ways to do so. Monetary donations are always welcomed as the costs associated with this program are not inexpensive. Medical supplies and equipment that we must purchase in order to continue surgeries each month are the most expensive and the most necessary. Of course, we continue to appreciate all donations of old towels and blankets, cat food and cat litter. We especially need more humane traps and pet carriers, as well as cages to house our friends in until they are ready to go home.
To report a feral colony or for more information about this program or how you can help please call us at 234-7979.
We can't possibly talk about kittens and not mention puppies…we wouldn't be living up to our name! Along with the kitten explosion this spring we will also see litter after litter of puppies born and most of them will also be homeless. It is a sad fact that we as humans have the ability to control this but we don't. It's always easier to let someone else take care of the problem. We struggle daily with the knowledge that hundreds of puppies are euthanised every year at our local Animal Control facility simply because there aren't enough homes for them all. Worst of all is the fact that they were never given a chance at life as a beloved pet because they were born into a world that didn't want them.
We continue to plead with the public to have your pets spayed or neutered. It is so senseless and sad that any animal has to be born into a life of sickness and fear. You can be sure this is the only life any homeless animal knows.
Please do not allow your dog to continue to breed. By having your pet sterilized you will not only prevent years of unwanted litters of puppies but you will also extend the life of your dog. Female dogs that continue to give birth will weaken and become susceptible to illness. Male dogs who roam in search of females are at the mercy of wounds and potential disease from other dogs, as well as the risk of being hit in traffic or picked up by Animal Control as a stray.
If you would like to have your pet sterilized but can not do so without some financial assistance please call us at 234-7979 and press option 2. We can help and will be glad to hear from you!
Did you know that one pair of breeding adult dogs and their offspring, if allowed to continue reproducing, can produce over 4,300 puppies in seven years!
April 29th … We'll be at the Lion's Club Bed Race at the fairgrounds from 10:00am until 4:00pm. There will be a trivia game with great prizes and the greyhounds are coming!
May 6th … Look for us at Mount Berry Square Mall for our first Adopt-a-thon of the year. We'll be there from 10:00am until 5:00pm with several cats and dogs. We probably have the pet you've been looking for. You'll never know if you don't come! There will also be a raffle so come join the fun!
May13th … Canine Design is having a photo shoot for you and your pet! Call Linda at 292-0808 and make your appointment while she still has some left. It's only $10 a sitting and half of that goes to the Humane Society…what a fun way to make a donation! Some of us will be there and you just never know who might show up with us! The shop is located on Highway 27N in Armuchee. Stop by and enjoy the afternoon with us!
August 26th … It's a Rescue Reunion! Celebrate the "dog days" of summer with us by bringing your rescued pet to a reunion picnic at Ridge Ferry Park. Look for more details in this newsletter as summer gets near. If your pet was adopted from us we will be notifying you by mail about this special event. We expect a great turnout!
We need several volunteers for each of the events listed above. There is no skill required. . . . all you have to do is show up. We would like to know ahead of time which event you plan to participate in so we can count you in. Please call the hotline at 234-7979 or e-mail us. We need you!!
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Editor's note: We are pleased to add Dr. Vanmeter's column as a regular feature to our newsletter. Our intention is to provide a forum for pet care tips and general pet health care to be addressed by a professional. If there are any pet health care issues or a subject you would like to see discussed in this column please send your comments to the editor of this publication. Our regular and e-mail addresses are listed at the end of this newsletter.
To emphasize spaying and neutering, to prevent unwanted animals; to educate the community on being responsible pet owners; to increase pet adoptions and have financial assistance available for the health and welfare of animals.
Rome-Floyd Humane Society
3 Central Plaza
PMB 193
Rome, GA 30161-3233
(706) 234-7979
Email: rfhs@cybrtyme.com
Web Site: www.rfhs.org
Editor: Mary Kate Jorgensen
Web version: Steven Hale
Contributor: Melissa Vanmeter, DVM