refocus

Now that the last dog at the humane society as been adopted, the Holt County Humane Society
(HCHS) will refocus on the issue of the overpopulation of pets. Since the inception of the
organization in 2006, too often the facility became a dumping ground for unwanted pets. In
November 2009, HCHS lost their lease at the facility on South Madison due to a conflict on the
future direction of the organization. Several dogs with kennels and dog houses were moved to a
facility in Chambers. Recently, our last dog was adopted into his forever home. A permanent facility
is not feasible in the immediate future so why not focus on the end of overpopulated shelters due
to unwanted animals. Each year millions of healthy dogs, cats, puppies and kittens continue to die
in the United States because they are homeless. Let our goal be to help strive for a time when
every dog or cat that is ever born can be guaranteed to be well cared for with a loving family. The
board members feel that the way to allocate our funds is best done by stopping the surplus of
animals being born then in boarding and finding homes for a relative few. There are many national
organizations that HCHS can collaborate with to help in our efforts to bring about a time when
there are no more homeless animals.
The HCHS is in the process of developing a spay/neuter program. Spay/ neuter programs will
directly impact the number of animals that lose their lives in our shelters or on the streets. Having
your pet spayed or neutered will free up homes for homeless pets that are already in shelters. By
getting your pet fixed, you are part of a campaign to reach a day when there are no more unwanted
pets. Spaying or neutering your pet also allows your pet to lead a longer, healthier and happier life.
A spay/neuter form is presently being formatted that will be distributed to veterinary clinics in Holt
County and will be linked to the HCHS website. Our initial efforts will be to help serve pet owners in
our county who cannot afford to have their pet spayed or neutered. It is a program being created
for owners with genuine financial need. We will be relying on the truthfulness of the applicants to
keep the program viable for the assistance to continue. Another goal is to have a spay/neuter clinic
day set up for cats as they are 45 times more prolific then humans. They especially need our help
to reduce their numbers. We will also look into a Litter Patrol program to help reduce the number of
"free" puppies or kittens that are advertised on the radio or in the newsletter.