The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Local News

August 10, 2008

Vigil to promote better pet care

Christian Giggenbach

The Greenbrier Humane Society will have a candlelight vigil at Lewisburg’s corner green space Saturday, Aug. 16, in re-cognition of International Homeless Animals’ Day.

The event is being sponsored to focus attention on responsible pet care “as an effective means to solve the tragedy of dog and cat overpopulation” and to “memorialize the unwanted dogs, cats, puppies and kittens from our community that were euthanized in the last year because there were no homes for them,” said Greenbrier Humane Society office manager Kathy Blankenship.

“I would like for this event to bring awareness to the fact that people need to spay and neuter their pets to reduce pet overpopulation and to be responsible pet owners,” Blankenship said.

The event begins at 8 p.m. and participants are asked to bring a candle, glow stick or flashlight and facial tissues. Coordinators are asking for participants to leave pets at home, but have requested that everyone bring an animal collar to represent the estimated 900 animals which have been euthanized in Greenbrier County this year.

“It hits home. Each one of those collars represents an animal,” Blankenship said.

Greenbrier County Animal Shelter director Dor-othy Kogar said between 4,200 and 5,200 animals were euthanized in 2006, but approximately 1,250 animals have been euthanized since last November. She said software problems and a high employee turnover rate have contributed to the unknown euthanization numbers in 2006 and 2007.

“The combination of the efforts of the humane society’s spay and neutering programs and our animal control officers giving out tickets have helped the euthanization numbers decrease,” she said. “When people come to surrender animals or pick up an animal, we instruct them how to get a voucher for animals to be spayed and neutered.”

For more information on how to apply for a spay or neuter voucher, contact Blankenship at 304-645-4775.

— E-mail:

cgiggenbach@register-herald.com

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