A link for the July 17 episode of Norfolk Perspectives featuring Karen Lauderback from Spay Hampton Roads and Stephanie Herman from Friends of Norfolk Animal Care Center is now online. The episode (our segment begins at 16:30) is listed with the July 11 episode. Just look for the words “spay” and “neuter”!
Pumkin, Tank, and Mooch
Twelve cats and thirteen dogs were spayed/neutered at today’s clinic! Three of the kittens, Pumkin, Tank, and Mooch, were returning patients who were too small for surgery at a previous clinic.
Tobias & Baron
Two attendees who certainly weren’t too small for surgery were Tobias and Baron Berry. Tobias is the excited one, while Baron is just chilling out.
Holly
One patient who was less than excited to be at the clinic was Holly, a seven month old Collie/St. Bernard mix. Holly’s family adopted her from a North Carolina rescue organization who saved Holly and her littermates from freezing to death. The puppies were found at ten weeks old, cold and unsocialized, living under a trailer. Holly is still shy around strangers and in new situations but perfectly puppy-like at home!
Holly (and her human family) can rest assured she will be well-taken care of by Dr. Harral, who let us take pictures of her checking a few kittens before surgery.
Dr. Harral with a patient
We look forward to an equally full clinic tomorrow!
The August 2011 edition of Consumer Reports includes a number of ways to save on pet care. Adoption is recommended as one way to “Save a Pet and Save Money.”
When you’re in the market for a pet, consider getting it from an animal shelter or a rescue group, many of which specialize in particular breeds. You’ll get a good deal and do a good deed. Start by searching online at Petfinder, which draws on listings from more than 11,400 shelters and rescue groups. It recently had more than 262,000 listings, mostly cats and dogs but also some horses, rabbits, birds, and other animals.
If you didn’t catch Norfolk Perspectives at 8am this morning, the program will be re-aired at 8pm.
SNIP truck
Friday morning’s gorgeous weather was a relief from recent heat and humidity. For months now, our clinics have been taking place in the parking lot for Let’s Go Pet Care, Eggleston Garden Center, and O Jardim Brazilian Cafe. This location is especially nice at this time of year, with so many
Eggleston Garden Center
blooming plants on display in the Garden Center.
Cats and cat caretakers were the stars of today’s clinic! With 18 cats scheduled, all but one cat made it on to the truck for surgery. The one missing cat is a community cat who evaded the trapper’s best efforts.
Silverness
We were thrilled to see Silverness and her “mom” Judy Nash, whom we met while canvassing one of our target neighborhoods one evening. Silverness was named by Judy’s granddaughter, who proclaimed that the fluffy kitten was “part silver and part princess.”
If you’ve ever wondered about that friendly cat on your street who doesn’t seem to have a home, here is some insight into how those situations develop:
Shadow
Smokey had been taken in as a kitten by an elderly man with Stage IV cancer. He found her after she had been hit by a car, and he spent a lot of time and money taking care of her. Unfortunately, this kind man died from his cancer in March of 2011. His sister came to clean out his house and found Shadow but could not keep her. The sister did not want to take Shadow to a shelter, so she let her out of the house, leaving her on the streets. Neighbors had been taking care of Shadow, as often happens in these situations, but no one had stepped forward to really take care of her by making sure she was spayed, vaccinated, and on the way to a real home of her own. Luckily for Shadow, Emily Dudley moved to this neighborhood. Emily has worked with her aunt, Nellwyn Beamon, on TNR, and brought Shadow to Friday’s clinic. Emily is also working to find her a new home.
These kittens need homes!
Eight of today’s patients were kittens born to two feral cats but raised from birth by a foster family. The momma cats were scheduled for surgery at
Please adopt me
a previous clinic, but much to their caretaker’s surprise, both cats gave birth the night before! Now the mommas are spayed, and all of their babies are, too. Please see our Facebook page for more pictures of these kittens, who are all available for adoption.
Reese
Returning to the clinic was the Kell family, with their Chocolate Labrador, Reese, a “child” of divorce. His people gave him up when they divorced, so the Kells added him to their family. Reese is such a handsome, well-behaved dog, it’s hard to imagine that the couple didn’t actually fight to keep him!
If you reside in one of our Norfolk Pet Project neighborhoods, please help us get the word out in your community. We can provide you with flyers or come talk to your civic league or other neighborhood events. We can always use volunteers, too.
A representative from Spay Hampton Roads will be a guest on Norfolk Perspectives this Sunday, July 17, at 8am and 8pm. Stephanie Herman, Friends of Norfolk Animal Care Center treasurer, will also be a guest on the show to discuss the importance and benefits of spay/neuter in Norfolk.
Friends of Norfolk Animal Care Center, who have generously sponsored SpayHR clinics and provided funds for vaccinations, will open a pet food pantry for citizens in need.
From their website:
Who is qualified for assistance? Residents of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, or Chesapeake whoa re currently receiving government financial assistance or who have a combined household income less than $30,000 per year.
How can I apply? Fill out the attached application and bring it to one of the Pet Pantry events or mail it to P.O. Box 11403, Norfolk, VA 23517. You will need to bring a picture ID card, and proof of government assistance (eg: valid EBT card) or proof of household income less than %30,00 per year. Application.
When and where can the food be picked up? Available food can be picked up each Saturday from 1 to 4 pm behind the Norfolk Animal Care Center located at 5585 Sabre Road in Norfolk, Virginia. Food WILL NOT BE DISTRIBUTED FROM THE SHELTER ITSELF, only from the Pet Pantry when it is open. View Map.
Is the pet food availability guaranteed? No. Distribution will be based on supply and demand.
From Sue Manning with the Associated Press: “Fewer Pets Killed Because of Spay, Neuter Programs.”
We would like to thank Rev. Aaron Wheeler, host of “Let’s Talk About It” on WYRM 1110 AM radio, for having two of SpayHR’s representatives on his show Monday.
During the show, a gentleman called in to say he was hesitant to neuter his dog, because the dog enjoys sexual activity. His was a similar reaction to one we faced a few weeks ago, while passing out flyers on a Friday evening. In some cases, citing the statistics or health and behavior benefits of spay/neuter offers a larger context in which people with this argument will consider altering their pets. In some cases, these facts are not persuasive.
One benefit to spaying/neutering that many residents in Norfolk may not know about relates to the length of time a stray animal is given to be found. As unaltered dogs and cats are more likely to stray, this information is very relevant to people like the caller to Rev. Wheeler’s show. Let’s use the caller’s male dog as an example:
A male dog without identification (i.e., no tags, no microchip) but who is neutered will have a longer stray hold at Norfolk Animal Care Center (animal control for the city of Norfolk) than a male dog without identification who is not neutered. A longer stray hold gives the dog’s owner more time to find him. It also gives the dog more time to become comfortable in the shelter and thus a more viable candidate for adoption.
So, an unaltered dog without identification has only has five days at the shelter. After that five days, if no one has come to claim the dog, he can either be made available for adoption, transferred to a rescue organization, or euthanized. Alternately, a similarly unidentified male dog who has been neutered has ten days at the shelter.
our uniform
If you’ve attended one of our clinics, you might have noticed our unofficial uniform: a short-sleeved, black t-shirt bearing the message, “I’M INTO S & N (spay & neuter).”
While a bit cheeky, this message communicates our passion succinctly and directly. It also warrants a second glance, with many people initially thinking the “N” is a “M.” The most common reaction we get is people asking where they can get this t-shirt. So…
You can buy the “I’M INTO S & N (spay & neuter)” t-shirt at the ASPCA’s online store. It only comes in black but is available for men and women. For women, there is a crewneck and a v-neck option.