Michael Gaither

We fostered out”Angelina”, an adorable little pomeranian last week. Here’s a bit about her and a bit of a rant from me on why you should fix your pets.

Puppy season. It’s that time of year. Then again, if you regularly foster and find homes for wayward dogs, it’s *always* that time of year. Always too many dogs and not enough homes. Case in point: “Angelina”.

Hard to believe that just a few months ago, she was a stray in Turlock. When picked up by the Turlock shelter, her hair was so badly matted she had to be shaved. (She looked like a fuzzy black bear. Not exactly a fluffy pom, but quite cute.) Angelina was pickd up by Animal Friends Rescue Project of Pacific Grove.

We fostered her for two months. She was adopted last Friday by her new forever home, a very cool young couple in Scotts Valley who just bought their first home…with the intent of finally having a yard for a dog.

“Angie” was lucky, but many dogs aren’t. A few Google’d animal shelter stats stats: Nearly seven million dogs and cats enter shelters each year. Half are euthanized. Only 10% of intaked animals have been fixed by their owners.

How can you help? Two things, and they’re the only soapbox-type items you’ll ever see on my web site:

1) FIX YOUR DOG AND CAT. Don’t tell me your dog’s cute and should be bred. We have three dogs. They’re adorable. And they’re fixed. And don’t believe the myth that letting your pet have just one litter is better for their health. It’s just that. A myth.

2) Looking for a dog or cat? PLEASE DO NOT GO TO A BREEDER. Just don’t. Nearly four million cats and dogs are put down every year. Every pet you adopt reduces that number by one. It’s math simple enough for me to understand.

And if you must have a purebred – even though a mutt is generally healthier than a purebred – email me and let me know. We’ve been fostering through AFRP for over five years, and every dog we’ve adopted out has been either a purebred…or a very adorable mutt.

Need more convincing? Take a look at Angie’s photos. I can guarantee she was much happier going to her new home than she was wandering the streets of Turlock as a stray.