Beat the Heat! Birth Control for Cats

Animal shelters across the country are overrun with millions of unwanted and homeless pets every year. Over 4 million will wait in cages only to be euthanized. This sad truth is one that Coalition: HUMAnE is on a mission to change.

In recognition of Spay Day USA, held on February 24th, Coalition: HUMAnE will hold its "Beat the Heat" event, offering 100 free pet cat sterilizations in the month of February. Most cats go into heat during early spring, so February is the ideal time for cat spays and neuters.

"Beat the Heat" spay/neuters will take place at the clinic in downtown Tacoma. Free surgeries are restricted to low income families. For more information, please call 253.627.SPAY or visit www.coalitionhumane.org

Whiskers Wine & Dine - March 13, 2009

Coalition: HUMANE's fifth annual "Whiskers Wine & Dine" is right around the corner! The fundraiser will be held on Friday, March 13 from 6:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the Sharon McGavick Center in Lakewood, WA. The event is held in recognition of Spay Day USA, a national day of action to promote the spaying and neutering of companion animals.

"Whiskers Wine & Dine" will feature a vegetarian "spay-ghetti" dinner, wine tasting and auctions –silent, live and dessert! It's sure to be an enjoyable evening for all who attend. Come out to help us fight pet overpopulation at its source! Reservations for "Whiskers Wine & Dine" are $50.00 per person, available in advance only. To make a reservation, please call 253.265.2290 or visit our website to download an order form.

To preview only some of our great auction items, visit the Whiskers Wine & Dine 2009 Blog!

Pridemore bill would shrink population of unwanted dogs and cats

Representatives from Coalition: HUMAnE are testifying in favor of this bill. Please write to your legislators! For more information please visit: Save Washington Pets

Tuesday, February 03 2009 - Craig Pridemore

OLYMPIA – Advocates estimate the unwanted births of thousands of stray dogs and cats all over Washington could be prevented by legislation proposed by Sen. Craig Pridemore, D-Vancouver.

Pridemore’s Senate Bill 5329 would make spaying and neutering affordable for pet owners with limited incomes.

“We’re a society that loves pets, but we also wind up having to kill hundreds of unwanted cats and dogs every day,” Pridemore said. “Apart from the humane aspects, which should bother anyone, the cost of handling and euthanizing unwanted animals from litters is staggering—and less affordable than ever for many people in these difficult economic times.”

SB 5329 would enable low-income owners to spay or neuter pets for a copayment of $10 for cats and $20 for dogs. The full price of spaying or neutering a pet can run much higher, depending on the breed, sex and weight of the pet, and the average cost of handling a stray pet delivered to a shelter is estimated at more than $90, according to advocates. Pickup and delivery of strays to shelters can add another $150 to $200 to the cost.

“This bill solves several problems,” Pridemore said. “First, it reduces the number of unwanted animals that are needlessly killed each year. Second, at a time when many people are struggling to make ends meet, it helps those least able to afford to spay or neuter their pets. Third, it reduces shelter costs and frees up money to house strays until they can find homes, instead of destroying them.”

The program would be funded by a fee paid by distributors of more than 1 ton of pet food in a six-month period; its impact would amount to less than a penny per meal for an average-size dog and even less for most pets.

Advocates estimate the number of unaltered cats and dogs in Washington homes at between 460,000 to 660,000, and the number of feral and free-roaming cats at 1.2 million. They point out that a New Hampshire program begun in 1994 led to a 75-percent decrease in euthanasia and a 34-percent decrease in shelter admissions in just a few years.

“We’ve all seen the pictures of lonely pets in cages and without owners, and we know the only fate waiting for most of them is to be put down,” Pridemore said. “It doesn’t have to be that way. This is a problem we can solve for pennies.”

Advocates also say the legislation would make communities safer, since unaltered dogs account for 82 percent of dog bites and 92 percent of fatal attacks on people.

SB 5329 was heard Jan. 27 by the Senate Agriculture & Rural Economic Development Committee.

# # #

For more information: Rick Manugian, Senate Democratic Communications, 360-786-7569

For interviews: Sen. Craig Pridemore, 360-786-7696

Coalition: HUMAnE in the News!

Pit bull lovers pull together to polish image

KATHLEEN MERRYMAN; THE NEWS TRIBUNE
Published: 01/14/09  12:05 am

At last, someone's come up with a pit bull program that won't send
people into apoplexy.

Four groups of folks who love pits are sponsoring "The Responsi-Bull
Project," which begins Thursday.

These people are given to puns, which indicates a sense of humor.
That's a great relief where pit bull-type dogs are concerned. If you
can think of any dog that prompts more divisive debate, please let me
know.

Andrea Logan of Pawsitive Alliance (I warned you about the puns) is
coordinating Responsi-Bull, which offers free spaying and neutering, a
free workshop for owners and a four-week obedience course.
Quantcast
It aims to cut the number of pit bulls born into bad homes and raised
to be aggressive. Along the way, organizers hope to rehabilitate the
breed's image. Pits can be good dogs, Logan said, not a gang fad. Not
teeth on a leash.

"Pit bulls have become the breed of choice for many irresponsible
people, and consequently are flooding animal shelters," Logan said,
speaking nationally. "An estimated one third of dogs entering our
shelters are pit bulls or pit bull mixes, and 90 percent of those dogs
will not find a home."

Responsi-Bull Project's first step, Pit-Fix, is to reduce the supply
of dogs crummy owners can exploit.

Starting Thursday, Coalition Humane Spay & Neuter Clinic will alter 30
pit bulls for free. Using maximum breeding math, Logan estimated this
could prevent 8,000 pit births.

There are strings attached to the free alterations, but they are
easily untied, said Coalition Humane board President Holly Bukes. By
state law, the clinic at 2106 Tacoma Ave. S. in Tacoma can perform
free or low-cost spaying only on pets of low-income Pierce County
residents.

"Call anyway," said Bukes, a pit bull owner.

The number is 253-627-7729.

People who don't think they qualify often do, Bukes said. Others get
referred to spay and neuter resources.

Altering dogs is a kindness all around, Logan said. The 2002 Texas
Severe Animal and Bite Surveillance Summary found unaltered dogs were
responsible for 82 percent of serious attacks. Of aggressors in fatal
attacks, 97 percent were unaltered.

Joseph Hunt, a Tacoma Animal Control and Compliance officer, sees it
all the time.

"Yesterday an officer was out with a female in heat, and two males
fought each other over the female," Hunt said.

He has been referring pet owners to Pit-Fix and the two training programs.

BullsEye Dog Rescue will host Pit-Ed, a free workshop on pit bull
ownership. BullsEye co-founder Lorrie Kalmbach-Ehlers will teach the
class from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Positive Approach Dog Training, 1501
S. Center St., Tacoma. Contact her at 360-981-7080 or
lorrie@bullseyerescue.org for a spot.

BullsEye and Positive Approach are co-sponsoring Train-A-Pit, a series
of four obedience classes. Train-A-Pit has a registration fee of $40,
but owners get $10 back at each class they attend. It's a deal. The
class is a $150 value.

Sessions begin Jan. 24 and meet Saturdays from 4 to 5 p.m. and 5:30 to
6:30 p.m. at Positive Approach. Kalmbach-Ehlers is taking
registrations. Her first rescue dog was a pit bull, and she's had
nothing but pits ever since.

This is Responsi-Bull's second time around, said Logan, who rounded up
$3,000 in donations to pay for it. She's hoping to put it on four
times a year.

Already the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County is seeing
results from combined efforts to reduce pit bull euthanasia. Tacoma's
new animal control rules penalize owners of dangerous and unaltered
dogs. Pit bull rescue groups are working to save, spay and train, and
find homes for dogs that can be good family members. Veterinarians are
making spaying and neutering affordable.

None of these efforts can succeed alone. But Marguerite Richmond of
the Humane Society said that together, they are saving animals.

In 2007, she said, 1,145 pit bulls came into the animal shelter. In
2008, that number was down 32 percent, to 774.

In 2007, Humane Society workers put down 673 pit bulls. In 2008, that
was down 40 percent to 404.

Now that's what you call a dog treat.

Kathleen Merryman: 253-597-8677

kathleen.merryman@thenewstribune.com

Surely, we need no more finicky, aloof furballs

Surely, we need no more finicky, aloof furballs

THE NEWS TRIBUNE

Published: December 12th, 2008 12:05 AM | Updated: December 12th, 2008 06:29 AM

Let’s give a big Christmas cheer to the people who are pushing passionately toward one noble goal: a Pierce County free of unwanted ankle-scratchers, tush-sniffers and tail-chasers.

No, we don’t mean the Sheriff’s Department vice squad. We’re talking about spay-and-neuter evangelists.

They preach a vital message: More than 8,000 animals were needlessly put down in the county last year.

We love them because they, like us, realize the planet has too many cats. The difference is that we think “too many” equals one: the clueless clawbeast who’s likely playing tetherball with our tree ornaments right now.

What say we have him neutered again. Knock him down a few pegs.

We also love these folks for their tacky sense of humor. To wit, the Peninsula spay/neuter group that holds an annual “spay-ghetti” fundraising dinner under the title: “It’s hip to snip!”

Now the Coalition:Humane clinic, which opened in March, is celebrating its first Christmas in Tacoma with a $5-off special for male cats and dogs.

It’s called “Deck the Balls.” One of the group’s veterinary assistants conceived the name. Call 253-627-SPAY to find out more about the discount.

We’ll let you write your own fa-la-la-la-lyrics. Ours wouldn’t pass the censors. Suffice it to say “collie” rhymes with “holly.”

Heartwarming Tale from the Humane Society

This is a great story from Kathleen Olson, Executive Director of our local humane society - The Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County.

Mike and his dog became homeless in August. The dog ended up at the shelter when he escaped a yard where Mike had left him with a friend. Mike walked to the shelter on Sunday after chapel services at the Mission and was relieved to find that we had his dog in a safe, warm kennel. The Tacoma Rescue Mission helped Mike with housing and assistance to get medical issues resolved through the Veteran's Administration. We were able to find a foster home to care for his dog until he has housing again.

UPDATE: Mike stopped by today to get his dog’s neuter certificate. He has housing now where he will be able to take the dog. He also has a pass so that Anu can go on Pierce Transit with him. He is enrolled in training classes for him and the dog.

We did not recognize Mike when he came in, as his hair is neatly trimmed and he is much healthier following the assistance he received from The Tacoma Rescue Mission and Veteran’s Administration.

So now you know the rest of the story.

Spay/Neuter Veterinarian(s) Needed!

Coalition: HUMAnE, located in Tacoma, WA, offers many opportunities for the right candidate. We are a nonprofit spay & neuter clinic primarily dedicated to sterilization. Coalition: HUMAnE operates using the nationally recognized Humane Alliance model (www.humanealliance.org). We are looking for full or part-time veterinarians to work as a team with the staff and board of directors. The clinic is operational Monday–Thursday. No nights or weekends, minimal administrative duty. Position is available starting January 2009.

To apply please contact board@coalitionhumane.org.