Thanks Orvis for providing the Golden Retriever Rescue of Houston a place to meet and educate people on rescues! That's a great service you are providing! Good luck GRR with your endeavors to educate people on rescues and the wonderful Goldens!

Not a cheerleader?

How many times can one person use an exclimation point in a paragraph? Spare us all, Bambi. Your cutsie-wootsie underskirt is showing.

Tonya, you are the most negative person I think I have ever heard - you must be one sad sad person!! I dont think I have ever seen anything positive said in any of your comments!! You know - I was brought up that if you cant say something nice, then dont say anything at all!! Well - for the sake of all of us - please please please - be quiet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And how is that for multiple !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????

I think there have been some good points made here recently.

What exactly is the SPCA doing to prevent more homeless animals? Why isn't there more proactive action being taken by this group to reduce the amount of pets? Why is the group spending money to build more animal warehousing, holding them until they kill them, instead of spending money to reduce the numbers of unwanted?

These are honest questions. How about some honest answers.

Though I think that some will deem the answers unsatisfactory at best, they may be of interest to others even if they are irrelevant to the Golden Retriever adoption and information event.

The HSPCA is a broad based animal welfare organization; as such, programs are not solely targeted towards sterilization. However, there are a number of programs that are very much relevant towards reducing the number of unwanted animals in our area.

The first is simply that the HSPCA has an open door admission policy. This policy along with the apparent preference as the place to take unwanted animals by those in the Houston area helps take unwanted animals off the street since, without a place to go, the animals would probably be simply released and eventually breed.

When animals are brought in, the HSPCA does offer assistance in addressing behavioral issues as well s pointers to low cost spay/neuter surgeries (if appropriate). This guidance does keep some animals in homes.

Animal behavior specialists are also available by phone for consultation, and information is available at the shelter and online to address specific issues. Behavioral classes are also offered. Addressing behavioral issues can help keep animals in homes.

Adoptions at the HSPCA places unwanted animals in new homes. Over 13,000 animals are adopted each year. As volunteer resources permit, adult dogs get a bit more attention through basic obedience training and personality identification (which helps match dogs to owners) to increase their chances for adoption.

All animals that can be spayed or neutered are spayed or neutered before they go home so that they do not create more unwanted animals.

While spay and neuter services are not available to the general public, they are available for free to people receiving some sort of governmental public assistance.

A good part of the HSPCA Cruelty Investigators' work is to educate people about how to care for their animals. Part of that education often involves trying to get them to spay and neuter their animals particularly when someone has an excessive number of animals. The cruelty investigators, in conjunction with local law enforcement, work to shut down puppy and kitten mills.

The HSPCA Humane Educators go to schools and other organizations to teach about animal welfare matters including education about the importance of spaying and neutering. One of the biggest factors in pet overpopulation is that many adults are unwilling to get their pets spayed or neutered for non financial reasons. Educating children about the benefits of spaying and neutering can influence their parents' attitudes as well as sets the stage for determining their attitude when they are older.

The HSPCA sends volunteers to large and small local events to provide information that includes the benefits of spaying and neutering and HSPCA programs.

The HSPCA works with breed rescue groups to get unwanted animals into new homes.

Finally, the HSPCA works to match lost and found reports to help get stray animals back to their homes if possible.