Let’s talk about a dirty little secret. No, it’s not about someone sleeping with someone or why someone is no longer sleeping with someone. Surely, you can find that somewhere else.
And, yes, it’s about animals, but before you stop reading, just realize two basic facts:
- According to The Dallas Foundation, “Of the nearly 29,000 animals brought to the city shelter in 2010, more than 20,000 had to be euthanized. Most of those animals were adoptable; they just never found homes.” According to the MySweetCharity calculator, that means based on a 365-day year, 54 animals were killed daily.
- During the few minutes that you are reading this post, litters of kittens and puppies are being born throughout the community that will end up on the table for a fatal injection within the next 18 months.
Yes, the answer is spay and neuter. Is the problem cost? Yes, in some cases. But more importantly, it’s largely a question of education. Newsflash: Four-legged creatures are not like two-legged critters. When a dog or a cat can drive a car, fill out a tax form or show any signs of one day being able to, then they will probably view sex the same way humans do. Until then, they are driven by uncontrollable urges with no concern or awareness of the consequences — unwanted litters.
A new program is underway to handle the situation. Big Fix for Big D is the result of the Companion Animal Funders Coalition made up of the City of Dallas, The Dallas Foundation, The Meadows Foundation, PetSmart Charities ®, The Rees-Jones Foundation and the Summerlee Foundation. In its first year it will provide sterilization, vaccination and registration for dogs and cats at $20 per in 18 targeted zip codes.
BFBD is helping the issue of cost, but the real trick is to get the idea across that it’s not just cool to spay and neuter, it’s a matter of life and death.
Jocelyn White says
SPCA of Texas is also taking a leading role in The Big Fix for Big D. This is a major push to educate the public as to why spay/neuter is so important. If we could get pet owners to participate and if we could shut down all puppy mills, we would not be murdering so many Fur Babies everyday. Jeanne, thank you for shedding light on this program and for always spreading the word about animal issues.