GA - Woman offers to pay to spay all the female dogs in Macon

Wow, this lady is taking on quite a project. Godspeed her on her mission:

Woman offers to pay to spay all the female dogs in Macon

Earlier this month, Kerri Hatcher Fickling took to Facebook to post an offer that she called her “Christmas gift for Macon.” ...

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more at: http://www.macon.com/2013/12/20/2843420/woman-offers-to-pay-to-spay-all.html



And I just have to add on this other doggie story from the same source today -- it also really touched my heart:

AC Pup: All we want for Christmas

...My friend Mr. Jesse Faust, the disabled gentleman I’ve mentioned before, has one wish for Christmas. It’s what he wants more than anything in the world. That’s to have his dog, Lady, live with him at his personal care home.

You may recall Mr. Jesse and Lady. They were hit by a car in April on U.S. 41 when he was returning Lady to the Save a Pet shelter where she lives....

...The wonderful people at Mr. Jesse’s personal care home are allowing him to build a pen for Lady on their property. That’s where we need your help....

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the rest of the story at: http://www.macon.com/2013/12/20/2843419/ac-pup-all-we-want-for-christmas.html

That is a wonderful gift Ms. Fickling is offering! Incredible! I hope many people take her up on her offer.

And I'm so glad Mr. Faust gets to keep his baby girl with him. So cute in her yellow tutu lol.

Wow!!! God bless Kerri Hatcher Fickling.

Wouldn't it be nice for this idea to catch on for cats & dogs in more cities?

Thank you, Backwoods for sharing these uplifting and happy stories!

Ms. Fickling is giving an amazing gift to Macon and to dogs!

noZme said:

Wow!!! God bless Kerri Hatcher Fickling.

Wouldn't it be nice for this idea to catch on for cats & dogs in more cities?

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There was an elderly lady that lived in Galveston, TX that would spay and neuter all feral cats for free. You just had to take them to a certain clinic and schedule a time. It was such a blessing while it lasted. It was a several hour drive, but I can't tell you how many cats we took there. Unfortunately she passed away, and her heirs (children) put a screeching halt to it.

I volunteered my services (and my home phone line) to the free spay/neuter program in which many local vets participate. Every day my voicemail was full with applicants who wanted to spay/neuter their animal. It made me realize that it wasn't so much lack of education that people didn't spay/neuter but cost. I'm a huge fan of any vet that takes part in programs like this. And to anyone else helping to defray cost is just a hero in my book.

MaybeNotToday said:

I volunteered my services (and my home phone line) to the free spay/neuter program in which many local vets participate. Every day my voicemail was full with applicants who wanted to spay/neuter their animal. It made me realize that it wasn't so much lack of education that people didn't spay/neuter but cost. I'm a huge fan of any vet that takes part in programs like this. And to anyone else helping to defray cost is just a hero in my book.

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Bravo to you, MaybeNotToday, bravo! You're MY hero! :loveyou: My ex is a vet who volunteered at the SNAP (Spay-Neuter Assistance Program) in Houston. There are organizations in every state that will help people by providing low cost spay and neutering. I've even found many places that will provide pet food for low income or struggling people who don't want to give up their beloved pets because they can't afford them! Angels, all of them.

In Houston:
http://www.snapus.org/site/PageServer

otto said:

My first thought is extermination ... a bit like Hitler. I suppose the next step is a law that no unsprayed female dogs shall be allowed in Macon.

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For the record, I do think that mandatory spay/neuter (enforced with a system of fines, I believe) is being discussed or has recently passed in Macon/Bibb County (in the process of consolidating). I live nearby but not in Macon or Bibb County, so I'm not real up on it -- but have seen some news coverage. It has been controversial, and there are certain exceptions, waivers, etc.

otto said:

My first thought is extermination ... a bit like Hitler. I suppose the next step is a law that no unsprayed female dogs shall be allowed in Macon.

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Wait, what? How is someone's generous offer of controlling unwanted pregnancies for dogs like Hitler? So if someone practices birth control are they like Hitler? It is impossible to find homes for the millions of unwanted and many times abused dogs and cats that end up in shelters. Approximately 2 million dogs are killed every year in shelters. That is one every 11 seconds. And frankly if there were a law that only licensed breeders could have females that weren't spayed that would be a blessing! I would be out of a job (I work at an animal shelter that kills precious dogs and cats and cry myself to sleep more nights than not) but never would I be so happy as to find another!


http://www.humanesociety.org/animal_community/resources/qa/common_questions_on_shelters.html

Way to go Los Angeles!

On February 12, 2008, the City Council of Los Angeles gave final approval to a new law that requires all cats and dogs in the City to be spayed or neutered after the age of four months, with some specific exemptions allowed. The Mayor signed this ordinance on February 26, 2008, making Los Angeles the national leader in efforts to humanely decrease the number of pets abandoned and euthanized each year.

http://www.laanimalservices.com/laws-policies/spayneuter-ordinance/

You rang my bell!

The noZ family is all about animal welfare charities. My guys call me the original castrating female. I have 10 carriers & regularly haul dogs & cats to Animal Aid in Tallahassee, a discounted spay-neuter program. I am happy to devote my time & gas & often $ to help control the unwanted pet population. I feed a colony of feral cats & support trap, neuter, release programs. I salute Snoods & everyone working "in the trenches."

Spaying and neutering makes a big difference: Just one unaltered female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 puppies in only six years. In seven years, one female cat and her offspring can produce an incredible 370,000 kittens!
(These figures are from Peta. Yep, they can be extreme & I do not agree with 100% of the philosophy, but you can find similar equations from other advocates.)

I think the motivation is education, but Ms Fickling's offer could seriously impede a generation of abandoned dogs. Females in heat cause injuries from dog fights, a male traveling to visit may be stuck & injured or killed by a car. It's unhealthy for the mom & subsequent pups to have unlimited litters. "We have too many dogs to get vet checkups & vaccinations." And "old Lady is preggos again so we'll call the shelter to come get her. We don't have anymore friends who will take a puppy & the last 2 litters we dropped off in front of a nice-looking farmhouse."

Otto, just last week I was giving you a big "attaboy" for helping another poster with some photoshop. We have posted on the same threads & I know you are a good guy. I respectfully suggest the idea is prevention, very different from extermination.

Snoods signature line is so true. Rescuing one animal may not change the world, but for that one animal their world is changed forever!

noZme said:

You rang my bell!

The noZ family is all about animal welfare charities. My guys call me the original castrating female. I have 10 carriers & regularly haul dogs & cats to Animal Aid in Tallahassee, a discounted spay-neuter program. I am happy to devote my time & gas & often $ to help control the unwanted pet population. I feed a colony of feral cats & support trap, neuter, release programs. I salute Snoods & everyone working "in the trenches."

Spaying and neutering makes a big difference: Just one unaltered female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 puppies in only six years. In seven years, one female cat and her offspring can produce an incredible 370,000 kittens!
(These figures are from Peta. Yep, they can be extreme & I do not agree with 100% of the philosophy, but you can find similar equations from other advocates.)

I think the motivation is education, but Ms Fickling's offer could seriously impede a generation of abandoned dogs. Females in heat cause injuries from dog fights, a male traveling to visit may be stuck & injured or killed by a car. It's unhealthy for the mom & subsequent pups to have unlimited litters. "We have too many dogs to get vet checkups & vaccinations." And "old Lady is preggos again so we'll call the shelter to come get her. We don't have anymore friends who will take a puppy & the last 2 litters we dropped off in front of a nice-looking farmhouse."

Otto, just last week I was giving you a big "attaboy" for helping another poster with some photoshop. We have posted on the same threads & I know you are a good guy. I respectfully suggest the idea is prevention, very different from extermination.

Snoods signature line is so true. Rescuing one animal may not change the world, but for that one animal their world is changed forever!

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BBM That's a lovely nickname! :floorlaugh: I'm rolling!

And thank you for the shoutout noZ, right back atcha!! Thanks for throwing up some stats, too. Education is key!

Thank you for your much calmer explanation to Otto than mine, since mine got poofed (sowwy mods).

Backwoods said:

Wow, this lady is taking on quite a project. Godspeed her on her mission:



more at: http://www.macon.com/2013/12/20/2843420/woman-offers-to-pay-to-spay-all.html



And I just have to add on this other doggie story from the same source today -- it also really touched my heart:




the rest of the story at: http://www.macon.com/2013/12/20/2843419/ac-pup-all-we-want-for-christmas.html

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Quoting my own original post, because I happened to see an update on the second story I'd posted about -- the one about Mr. Jesse and Lady. They are reunited!:

AC Pup: The house that love built

...Remember my telling you about Mr. Jesse Faust and his dog, Lady, being separated? And you know that Lady’s been living all alone for the past couple of months waiting until a pen could be built for her?


Well, thanks to the kindness of our community, Mr. Jesse and Lady will soon be living together again. There have been so many wonderful people who helped make this project possible, not the least of which were the numerous people who donated materials, time, talents and made financial contributions.


We are so grateful for the folks at Whispering Pines allowing Lady to live on their property. This has made Mr. Jesse very happy.


A sincere thank-you goes out to Mr. Terry Daniels, a construction genius, for overseeing this project and for putting special touches on Lady’s pen like putting a heat lamp in her house, tarps around the pen and a ramp for Mr. Jesse. He even connected a water and heat source right at the pen so it would be convenient for Mr. Jesse. Mr. Terry is an amazingly considerate gentleman.


Thanks also to Mr. Chad Kohlmayer and Matt Brantley from AA Action Fence for installing the fence. Thanks to volunteers of all ages who came out to do the hard work of clearing, cutting and making a space for the pen to go.


I am indebted to, among others, Macon Concrete, Country Oaks Farm and Pet Supply, AA Action Fence, Georgia Fence and the legions of donors and workers. ...

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http://www.macon.com/2014/01/31/2910250/ac-pup-the-house-that-love-built.html#wgt=rcntnews