We have some exciting news to share with you that will save the lives of thousands of dogs and cats in our community every year! PAWS will be opening a low cost spay/neuter facility here in Ouachita Parish.
Why is this such a big deal to us? The Ouachita Parish Animal Shelter took in 9,161 dogs and cats last year and 6,874 of them were put to death. That's 75% of all animals taken in. Many more homeless animals suffer on the streets.
The reason? Owned pets as well as stray dogs and cats are reproducing so fast that no shelter, no matter how large or state of the art, would be big enough to house them all. Litters of puppies and kittens are dumped at the shelter at an alarming rate.
Adoption and rescue programs save the lives of very few of them but over the last 6 years, it has become very clear that we can NOT adopt our way out of this epidemic. We have operated a Low Cost Spay/Neuter Program since the inception of PAWS in 2003 and the number of dogs and cats being put to death in our area is still at an unacceptable level.
Please CLICK HEREto learn why a spay/neuter facility is so desperately needed in our area.
We will no longer accept euthanasia as an acceptable method of population control! The ONLY way to stop this problem is through widespread spay and neuter.
At our proposed facility, PAWS of NE Louisiana Spay Neuter Services, Inc., we will provide low-cost, high-volume high-quality spay/neuter services and will target low income pet owners, as well as shelter & rescue animals and feral cat populations in Northeast Louisiana.
We will plan, develop and implement a facility based on the Humane Alliance National Spay/Neuter Response Team (NSNRT) model. This model allows for the NSNRT staff to provide training, mentoring and support to our staff. To learn more please visit the Humane Alliance online and watch the informational video below.
Building this facility will be NO small undertaking. It will be a challenge but one that we are up to conquering in order to save the lives of thousands of animals every year....we know that we can do it with YOUR help!!
We are at ground zero and will gladly accept ANY donation that will help get our facility up and running from monetary donations to offers of services or help of any kind! No matter if you are a business owner or a student, there IS a way that YOU can contribute, no matter how big or small, and be a part of this wonderful opportunity that our community has to finally get its pet overpopulation problem under control!
WHAT WE NEED FROM BIG TO SMALL!
- A building (approx 2000 sq ft) - maybe you have a vacant building or a rental property that you could donate...all donations are tax-deductible! Or allow us reduced rent on a rental that we could renovate.
- Your services - Are you an electrician, builder, plumber, etc? We could use your donated services when it's time to build or renovate
- Transport van - So many people could use our services if they could only get their pets to us. We will need a "neuter scooter" van (used will be just fine) to help get more pets to us.
- Office equipment and furniture - If your business or employer is getting a new fax machine or copier we could use your old one...Do you have extra desks/chairs in an office not being used at your business? We could put them to use!
- Washer/Dryer/Microwave/Refrigerator - Remodeling? Don't throw out those appliances that still have years of use left!
- Supplies of all kinds! - Office supplies, janitorial supplies (lots of bleach), metal pet bowls, towels, newspapers, gently used crates and much much more! We will have a list of things most needed.
- Storage Unit - We are also currently in need of a storage unit to store any donated items in until we get a building! If anyone owns or works at a storage facility and could either donate a unit for us to use, discount the monthly rent or donate several months rent it would be greatly appreciated!!
So....now you are wondering what you can do to help?! There are endless ways but here are a few ideas below:
- Donate money! - Writing a check is the easiest way that you can help. But we know that this will not be an option for everyone.
- Recruit friends and family to help you raise money
- Set a target such as $1000 and ask everyone you know for $10.
- Hold your own fundraiser - Here are just a few examples:
We currently have several people and groups doing "Pennies for PAWS". Get a jar, set it out at your business or classroom and collect as much spare change as you can. You'll be surprised at how fast it can add up!
Hold a garage sale, bake sale or car wash.
Do you own or manage a restaurant? Donate a % of the proceeds from a certain night to us. We'll help you advertise!
Do you own or manage a retail store? Donate an item to us such as jewelry, 4-wheeler or car and we can raffle it off!
Get your office, family or group together to sponsor the cost of a specific item for the month or year (such as bleach, copy paper, etc.)
Want to get your pet involved in the "FUN"draising! For the person who donates or raises the most money for our facility, we will choose your pet to be the mascot of our facility. We will put his or her photo in our lobby along with a plaque showing that he or she played an integral part in the start up of our facility!
We'll also have naming opportunities for larger donation amounts such as the "John Smith Surgical Suite" or the "Fluffy Smith Cat Recovery Room"
I'm sure you can tell that we are very excited about this endeavor and we hope you are too!
We hope you are inspired to help us start saving more lives!
We have created a new Yahoo Group where you can get ideas for fundraisers, volunteer to hold a fundraiser, find others to collaborate with on a fundraiser, see what fundraisers others are currently holding, etc. Get your family, friends, co-workers, church group or youth group together and have some fun while raising money for a great cause!
If you are not familiar with the Yahoo Groups feature...once you join, you can post a message and it will go to all of the members of the Yahoo Group. And each time someone else posts a message, you will receive it via email or you can go to the group site and read the messages from there.
"No other disease or condition of companion animals takes as many lives as euthanasia.In fact, no other disease comes close." - Janet M. Scarlett, DVM, CornellUniversity
