Show your love for animals and help stop the overpopulation of unwanted cats and dogs by calling your veterinarian and making an appointment to have your animal spayed or neutered this month.
Helping Animals of Warren County (HAWC) made a request of both governments, Warren County and city of McMinnville, to show support for September being Pet Spay and Neuter Month as a way to raise awareness about the importance of reducing the number of unwanted dogs and cats in the county.
Warren County made the announcement of support during the Aug. 21 meeting of the Warren County Commission. McMinnville Mayor Jimmy Haley drafted and signed a proclamation for the city.
“We appreciate their support in making September Pet Spay or Neuter Month,” said HAWC president Hollie Cox.
According to HAWC member Jan Saylors, spay and neuter is the key to preventing unwanted animals.
“Spay and neuter is the only way out of the overpopulation problem,” she said. “We can’t keep building shelters. We can’t keep sending dogs north and south and wherever else we send them. We have to get to the root of the problem which is people who will not spay or neuter their pets.”
According to statistics given by HAWC, there are over 3,000 dogs and over 4,000 cats that have not been spayed or neutered in Warren County. Medically unaltered pets lead to litters being born accidentally and creating an overpopulation of unwanted and abandoned animals. In six years, one unaltered female dog and her offspring can be the source of 67,000 puppies. In seven years, one unaltered cat and her young can produce 420,000 kittens.
For more information on HAWC, visit its Facebook page.