Please take a moment to read and share this with your friends. With your support we are making a difference! We look forward to your continued support! Rescue is Exciting! Adoption is Sweet! Spay Neuter Solves the Problem! says Hope for PAWS by By Kim Isbell What does it mean to an unwanted dog to be in the care of Natchitoches Hope for Paws? You are one of 45. It means medical care, a bath, and our volunteers and contributors have put a roof over your head, given you an 8 x 8 foot pen, built outdoor runs and group play areas, and provided you a dog bed, dog house, food, and water. What more could a dog want? Also important is introducing these unwanted dogs to a caring human beings. Each morning for 2 hours, 4 Natchitoches Parish Detention Center inmates volunteer at the HfP shelter cleaning pens, feeding, watering, interacting and playing with these animals. Each afternoon HfP volunteers along with volunteers from numerous community groups, members of the NSU Vet Tech Program, sororities, and fraternities, as well as school and church groups perform these duties. While Hope for Paws could not exist without its volunteer force it also cannot exist without dog food, local monetary donations, and grants. HfP currently has 45 dogs in its care and uses 20 pounds or $15 worth of Pedigree dog food a day. That is a $450 food bill a month and does not include the individuals in the community that we assist with cat and dog food. In addition to housing and human care there are the medical costs. Hfp has 12 dogs being treated for heart worm at an average cost of $200 each. Monthly heart worm preventative costs about $10 per animal. HfP has 45 dogs in its care. The organization also tries to help deserving pets and pet owners with substantial medical bills. Four dogs have the mange. While the dip is not very expensive, the eight week dipping process is labor intensive. HfP is very fortunate to have volunteers to do this. Other dogs in our care have injuries, ring worm, skin irritations, other non-contagious infections that can costs hundreds of dollars to treat and all of the dogs have to have their regular shots; Rabies, Parvo, Corona, Dhp and heartworms test. Individually the shots are neither costly nor time consuming, combined they cost on average $100 per dog. How long can a dog stay at the HfP shelter? Until it is adopted. Most dogs are adopted within three months or less. How do they get the hundreds of dogs that come into their care each year adopted? HfP hosts monthly adoption days in Shreveport and Natchitoches. Adoption days require at least two or three volunteers with vehicles and five hours to transport, set up and interact with the public. Other volunteers post pet pictures and descriptions on pet store adoption boards, Petfinder, Facebook and other social media. While it costs humane organizations a range of $300 to thousands of dollars per dog to rescue, care for and find an adoptive family, it costs the taxpayers $100.00 for each animal local shelters have to pick-up, house and eventually kill or euthanize most. On average, publicly funded local shelters euthanize 35 animals, dogs and cats each week, or spend $3,500 a week killing unwanted animals. That is the reality. How can you as a taxpayer reduce the tax dollars spent to euthanize cats and dogs and stop the needless killing of unwanted animals for no reason other than they need a home? Spay and neuter pets! But, you say my dog or cat does not go outside. How many of you own a pet that has gotten pregnant or gotten the neighbor’s dog or cat pregnant by accident? Sometimes those cute puppies and kittens become unwanted and have to be put down at publicly funded shelters. You say it costs too much?! The Hope for Paws Pet Spay Neuter Program is available to the public and costs only $25 per animal. Visit natchitocheshopeforpaws.org to print the one page application or message us on Facebook. Include your $25 money order or check and mail. A Hope for Paws volunteer will get back with you as soon as possible. You pick the vet and schedule the procedure. To electronically make a donation using your credit card or paypal account, please visit our website natchitocheshopeforpaws.org. or the Natchitoches Hope for Paws Facebook page.
Posted on: Tue, 13 Aug 2013 00:55:02 +0000
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