July 22-31, 2006

 Lessons Learned: Part III – Preparing for the Future

On July 22 and July 23, 2006 the LA/SPCA and a local business, Belladonna Day Spa, held a microchipping event. The owner of the spa had volunteered during the Lamar Dixon days and is a passionate animal lover. Thanks to the generosity of Belladonna, the first 100 pets could be microchipped for only $5. The cost was $10 for all others. Although the event was scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. a crowd began to form by 6 that morning. By 9 a.m. the lines snaked for over three blocks. People and their pets endured sweltering heat and high humidity. They continued to come out in droves. On Sunday, the heat was accompanied by sheets of rain and high winds. And the crowds never lessened. By the end of the weekend, 1000 pets had been microchipped in 10 hours. “It’s not easy being out here,” one woman remarked, “but after seeing what happened last year, I’ll do anything for them. This is worth the wait.”

In late July, the LA/SPCA hosted the Big FIX Rig. A low-cost, high-volume spay/neuter clinic that can sterilize up to 60 cats a day serving our goal of reducing animal overpopulation. The service was open to both domestic and feral cats. The public responded to the need of reducing cat overpopulation from as far away as Opelousas, Louisiana, taking advantage of the affordable service. The Rig was designed and purchased by Humane Alliance of Asheville, NC with funding provided by the ASPCA, HSUS, the PETCO Foundation, the Bosack and Kruger Foundation, PetSmart Charities, United Animal Nations and the International Fund for Animal Welfare. Five hundred eighteen surgeries were performed on the Rig during its first 15 days. Based on very conservative estimates that one half of the 518 cats altered were female; and that one female will have at least one litter of four kittens per year; and that from at least two of those four kittens another 4 litters would be born; in just 15 days we potentially saved the lives of over 3000 animals who might otherwise face a life of homelessness, neglect or worse.