The underlying root problem MUST and CAN be solved: We MUST stop runaway population growth through spay/neuter rather than euthanasia.

One of our contributors from Lakeland, Florida recently sent us a newsletter from the Polk County, Florida S.P.C.A., from which we quote:

... although our remarkable 46% adoption rate is well above the national average, [the] twenty-year total [of adoptions] is equal to the number of "surplus" animals killed in just sixteen months in Polk County. Forty a day come in; eighteen a day go out. The equation never balances. Despite our energetic Atopt-a-Pet campaigns ... we have reached a crisis level of dogs and cats for whom there are not nearly enough homes.

The Facts:

Over 19,000 dogs and cats were euthanized last year in Polk County. Several thousand more were scraped off the streets--the ones who never made it to our shelters to be killed. ... The 5,000 animals received by the S.P.C.A., Inc. required $310,600 in donations to care for and shelter. Ninety-five percent of the animals surrendered to the S.P.C.A. were unaltered. Fifty percent were unwanted litters that never should have been born.

The Problem:

We must begin by acknowledging that a pet overpopulation problem exists, rather than pretending we don't know what goes on behind closed doors. Those who fill syringes with blue solution, inject it into the veins of healthy, trusting animals and watch them die, know there is a crisis. How long can we, as caring human beings, ignore the source of the problem and continue to kill the endless stream of offspring they produce?

The Solution

Pet overpopulation is a problem we can "fix" once and for all. Statistics show that spaying and neutering works. Humane organizations that have opened low cost spay/neuter clinics have reduced the number of animals surrendered to their shelters by 40 to 75%. ... [End quote.]

We (Pat and Bill Arnold) agree, and believe that although a 40 to 75% reduction in the number of surrendered animals is a tremendous improvement, it is still not enough until we lose none to euthanasia due to homelessness. In addition to "low cost spay/neuter clinics" we need FREE spay/neuter clinics. In fact we may have to offer to PAY many of the unaware human beings who continue to refuse to even consider having their pets spayed and/or neutered. We run into (and have conversations with) such people quite often.

Whatever we have to do to get pets spayed and neutered, we have to do it and QUICK. There simply aren't enough adoptive homes out there to adopt the homeless as fast as they are coming into the shelters. And there aren't enough kennels available in our or the many other no-kill shelters across the country to save more than a small percentage of the entire homeless population.

We might win this war on unplanned dog and cat pregnancies if the non-spay/non-neuter group could JUST be made to realize that every time they haphazardly allow their pets to become pregnant or father offspring, the chances are pretty good that most of the members of the litter will ultimately join the ranks of the surplus and will be euthanized early in their lives.

[Toby wants me to quit typing and pet him. Petting was in the bargain between my ancestors and yours, he's telling me licking my face when I get too close as I pet him and hug him. ... Now he's lain back down, and I can resume writing here. Nope, here comes Pat.]

Quick Note from Pat ...

We've had a busy few weeks here at our Happy Home for Strays, getting all the dogs' shelters and houses ready for winter weather, and now all the big shelter doors are in place across the fronts of the shelters and fresh fluffy hay fills all 45 doggie houses. Blackie dog and Toby are the only housedogs (we truly wish ALL 47 of these fellas could be housedogs).

Sweet little Snuggles (the adorable white Spitz mix) completed her heartworm treatment and she is just fine now. Today we moved her in with Skipper, the small wire hair Terrier mix (another recent arrival) and they get along beautifully. They both weigh approximately 25 pounds. They are both available for adoption.

Honey, possibly a tiny part Boxer with Great Dane ears (who looks much like Bobby) is the most recent arrival. She is close to a year old and is a wonderful, affectionate, playful dog and had been Skip's kennel companion but she is much bigger than Skipper (at her 45 pounds) and plays too rough with the little fellow, so we decided we needed a more gentle companion for Skipper and the change was made for sweet little Snuggles to be his kennel companion. Honey would do great with a little schooling at a dog obedience class. Honey is available for adoption.

Two beautiful Huskies are coming this week

And we've been super busy getting ready for their arrival. The gentleman bringing the Huskies to us also donated a new kennel for them when he heard that we had no available kennel space for these two dogs (which he had rescued) because he wanted to place them here at our Happy Home for Strays.

He had been boarding the dogs at a clinic in Dallas for a long time while he tried to find them a wonderful home, and having no success with placing the fellas he got in touch with us. Because we had no available kennel space, he offered to donate a new kennel for these wonderful dogs. And now we are ready for them. Randy just finished getting their new kennel up which is complete with the big shelter and hay-filled doggie houses.

The Huskies are available for adoption. They are both females, approximately two years old, spayed and vaccinated and in great health. These precious dogs have never been separated and we'd all like for them to be placed together with a loving, caring family. ... More soon, Pat ...

Complete financial records are available upon request.

Dog food, veterinary expenses and kennel crew wages have been running over $1,800 per week, and we are quite often literally paying this week's expenses with this week's donations. We, Pat and Bill Arnold, receive no remuneration whatsoever for any work we do for our no-kill shelter, which includes managing it. (Bill pays our bills from his salary from his regular job in Dallas.)

We continue to thank those who continue to write us such encouraging letters and e-mail messages letting us know that you believe in what we are doing at Straydog (our Happy Home for Strays) as we continue to provide a decent life (as long as may be necessary) for each of our now 46 rescued dogs!

Please take a look at some of our newsletters (click on links at end of page) and see the original article in The Dallas Morning News --on the Internet at "dallasnews.com/archives" (search for Pat Arnold on March 13, 1997).

We rely on donations to keep our shelter going. If you believe in us and in what we are doing, please help us with a contribution to THE ARNOLD STRAY DOG FUND at the following address:

Straydog Inc.
P.O. Box 1465, Gun Barrel City, TX 75147

STRAYDOG - THE ARNOLD FAMILY'S HAPPY HOME FOR STRAYS

We are a 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Non-Profit Corporation, which means your contributions are tax deductible.