Animal Guardians of Brevard

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Animal Guardians of Brevard

For the Love of
AnimalsA 501(c)3 charitable organization

• Presents
• Animal Overpopulation
• The Case for
• Responsible Pet Guardianship
• and the Role of
• Spaying and Neutering

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MISSION STATEMENT

• To promote responsible, lifetime pet guardianship
  through education, counseling, and accessible,
  affordable sterilization. To increase awareness
  of companion animal overpopulation and promote or
  participate in activities that will improve the
  well-being of homeless, neglected, abandoned, and
  unwanted animals.
• www.animalguardiansofbrevard.org

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Who We Are

• Founded in 2002
• Sterilized over 5000 cats and dogs
• Facilitated thousands of adoptions and transfers

• Assisted local shelter programs, and provided
  donations, improvements, and more
• 2006 Jefferson Award for Public Service

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Did You Know???

• Every year around 20,000 cats and dogs enter
  Brevard County shelters and rescues.
• More than half are euthanized (killed)
• Most are healthy and well-tempered, or treatable
• Overwhelmed shelters lack space, funds
• No-Kill is a myth

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Did You Know???

• Over 25 million cats and dogs are born in the
  U.S. each year, 7 for every 1 human
• 8-12 million enter shelters
• 50-70 are euthanized in the country and locally
• Euthanasia is the Number One Cause of Death for
  Cats and Dogs in the U.S.

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Four to Eight MILLION cats and dogs are
euthanized every year in the U.S.
What message does that give to our children about
the value of life?
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Did You Know???

• Millions are abandoned or born as strays
• Many live miserably and die prematurely
  (accidents, starvation, disease, and cruelty)
• The costs of trying to manage animal
  overpopulation may be 2 billion dollars per year
  nationwide

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How can there be SO MANY homeless dogs and cats???
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The Solution is Responsible Pet Guardianship

• The main causes of animal overpopulation are
  people who do not spay and neuter pets, or people
  who casually get rid of them
• There are two parts to the solution for pet
  overpopulation
• Preventing unwanted births (Dont litter)
• Keeping pets for life

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What do Spay and Neuter Really Mean?

• Spaying is the removal of the ovaries and
  uterus (ovariohysterectomy - OVH)
• Neutering is removal of the testicles
  (orchiectomy, castration)
• Other terms include sterilization, fixing,
  and altering

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• Commonly performed operations
• Well-tolerated by cats and dogs
• Performed under general anesthesia
• Most pets go home the same day

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Animals have no psychological drive to reproduce
and sterilization isGood for the pet, Good
for the guardian, andGood for the
community.
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Spaying and Neutering is good for your Pet
because it

• Eliminates or reduces infections and cancers of
  the reproductive system
• Reduces the drive and consequences of roaming,
  running away, and fighting
• Decreases the chance of injury, poisoning,
  traffic accidents, and cruelty
• Pets live longer, healthier lives

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Spaying and Neutering is good for the Guardian
because it

• Makes pets better companions
• Makes pets less temperamental
• Eliminates the heat cycle
• Diminishes spraying and territorial / sexual
  aggression
• Sterilization is a one-time expense with
  benefits that far outweigh the costs

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Spaying and Neutering is good for the Community
by

• Decreasing animal shelter overcrowding
• Decreasing euthanasia rates
• Diminishing public health threats
• (dog bites, attacks, disease, etc.)
• Decreasing traffic hazards
• (animals and bodies on roads and highways)
• Preventing nuisances
• (stray and homeless animals frighten and
  anger people who do not understand their needs
  and misery)

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Decreasing homeless animals also helps our
community because

• Brevard Countys budget for Animal Services has
  averaged about 3.5 Million annually
• Most expenditures are directly or indirectly
  related to controlling unwanted animals
• The average cost to shelter an animal is over
  100 (regardless of outcome)

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Myths and Facts about Spaying and Neutering

• Myth An animal should be at least 6 months old
  before sterilization
• Fact Early age sterilization (2 months / 2 lbs)
  is encouraged and endorsed by the American
  Veterinary Medical Association
• Myth A female should go through heat or have a
  litter before being spayed
• Fact NO medical evidence supports this and
  waiting may increase risk

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• Myth Males don't need to be neutered because
  they don't have the babies
• Fact Females AND males make babies and a single
  male can impregnate several females
• Myth Sterilization will
• make a pet fat and lazy
• Fact Overfeeding and
• lack of exercise cause obesity
• Myth Homes can be found for the kittens/puppies
• Fact This takes homes from desperate shelter
  animals who may never get homes

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• Myth Neutering will make a dog less "masculine
  or protective
• Fact Less aggressive, yes.  Less "masculine,"
  no. 
• Myth Spaying and neutering is too expensive
• Fact There are low cost
• clinics and financial assistance
• Myth Children should
• see the miracle of birth
• Fact They should
• prevent the tragedy of
• death by looking at a movie or book

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What About Community Cats? AKA
Ferals and Strays

• These cats live outdoors
• Most feral cats are killed in shelters because
  they are not tame and adoptable
• The ONLY method of population control that works
  is TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return)
• Populations in managed (TNR) colonies remain
  stable or even
• decline with attrition

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• Euthanasia is meant to end
  suffering, not to control the population of
  homeless animals

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Local Low Cost Spay and Neuter Clinics

• Florida Aid to Animals - Melbourne
• 321-242-9826
• Brevard Aid to Animals - Melbourne
• 321-421-6277
• SPCA of North Brevard - Titusville
• 321-269-0536
• Central Brevard Humane Society
• Cocoa
• 321-636-3343
• Brevard Community Animal Hosp
• Melbourne
• 321-724-1141

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Financial Aid Resources

• Animal Guardians of Brevard
  321-759-2999
• www.animalguardiansofbrevard.org
• Brevard County Animal Services
• 321-255-4346
• www.brevardanimalservices.com

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Keeping Pets for Life

• Pets are not
• disposable
• Pet adoption is a lifetime commitment

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Choose the right pet

• Age Youngsters vs. Adults
• Size and Breed
• Your Time and Space
• Training is recommended
• Know the lifetime costs
• Bonding is crucial

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• Always adopt from
• shelters or rescue groups
• Up to 25 of the animals
• in shelters are purebred
• Mixed-breeds may be
• healthier
• Buying a pet
• adds to overpopulation
• encourages breeders
• takes homes from
• shelter pets at risk

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Pets featured in this presentation are or
were recently available locally for adoption and
can be seen at www.Petfinder.com
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Proper Pet Care

• Spay and neuter every pet before puberty
• Regular vet care for cats and dogs
• Keep pets safe (pet-proof the home)
• Keep pets indoors and obey leash laws
• Properly identify pets (tag, microchip)
• Less than 10 of lost pets ever get home

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Avoid Relinquishing Pets

• The most common excuses for relinquishing pets
  include
• Moving
• Landlord issues
• Behavior problems
• Allergies
• New baby
• Too many animals
• Cant afford food, care, etc.

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• Other excuses for throwing away companion animals
  include
• Too big, too small Too old, too young
• Too noisy, too quiet Too playful, too lazy
  Gets on the bed, doesn't get on the bed
• Doesn't match the
  furniture,
• Just don't want It anymore
  etc. etc. etc.
• Never abandon a pet

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How you can help

• Volunteer, Donate, Raise funds
• Consider a career in veterinary medicine, animal
  advocacy, animal rights law
• Support the Florida Animal Friend License Fund
  (Funds low- and no-cost sterilization programs)

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Saving one pet wont change the world but the
world will surely change for that one pet
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No One Can Do
Everything, but Everyone Can Do
Something
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How many dogs does it take to change a light
bulb?

• Golden Retriever The sun is shining, the day is
  young, we've got our whole lives ahead of us, and
  you're inside worrying about a stupid burned out
  bulb?
• Border Collie Just one. And then I'll replace
  any wiring that's not up to code.
• Dachshund You know I can't reach that stupid
  lamp!
• Rottweiler Make me.
• Lab Oh, me, me!!!! Puleeeeeeze let me change the
  light bulb! Can I? Can I? Huh? Huh? Huh? Can I?
• Malamute Let the Border Collie do it. You can
  feed me while he's busy.
• Jack Russell Terrier I'll just pop it in while
  I'm bouncing off the walls and furniture.
• Old English Sheepdog "Light bulb? I dont see
  a light bulb.
• Poodle I'll just blow in the Border Collie's ear
  and he'll do it. By the time he finishes rewiring
  the house, my nails will be dry.
• Doberman Pinscher While it's dark, I'm going to
  sleep on the couch.
• Pointer I see it, there it is, there it is,
  right there....
• Greyhound It isn't moving. Who cares?
• Australian Shepherd First, I'll put all the
  light bulbs in a little circle....
• Cat Dogs do not change light bulbs. People
  change light bulbs. So the question is how long
  will it be before I can expect some light and
  who needs light anyway?