Springfield Mayor Declares August 1st ‘Dakin Day’ SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB) — This morning, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno proclaimed August 1 “Dakin Day.” “They’ve been a shining star here in the city of Springfield and Western Mass,” says Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno. “We have long been in the upper Valley, and have been there for more than 40 years, and to come down here and be a part of this community — it really feels great,” says Leslie Harris, executive director for the Dakin Humane Society. Dakin has made a tremendous impact in the community since opening it’s Springfield location five years ago. From from August 1, 2009 to today, there’s been a 77 percent decrease in cat euthanasias — something Dakin attributes to it’s successful spay/neuter program. “We are getting ready to celebrate our 50,000th spay/neuter surgery at the community spay/neuter clinic, and what all those surgeries have led to is a 38% decline in cat and kitten intake,” says Harris. “Many fewer homeless animals coming into our adoption center.” “They also educate families on how to properly take care of animals, and that’s key,” adds Sarno. Dakin says they plan to build upon this success moving forward. “We’re going to continue on our campaign to make sure that every member of our community, every animal who’s here, and every person who cares about them, has access to the information and the services they need to keep their pets healthy, safe and happy,” says Harris. To celebrate the distinction, Dakin his holding a $5 Feline event today. They’re also taking $100 off the adoption fee for black and white kittens.
Posted on: Fri, 01 Aug 2014 17:29:22 +0000