I cried for your cat today.

She was carried into the veterinarians in a cold plastic crate.
Her little head bobbing up to peer out the side openings,
eyes round and frightened.
Did you think she found a good home?
The day you left her at the SPCA
did they tell you she might die?
Too many cats there, not enough room.
Lonely, frightened, sneezing,
she was taken to the veterinarian.
For medicine? No.
Now there is more room at the "shelter"
for one more cat.

I cried for your cat today…no one else did.

Until there is a massive push to spay and neuter, this heartwrenching scenario will be repeated endlessly. I have personally approached some veterinarians for low cost spay and neuter for cat colonies and have been refused, being told that it can only be offered to "bona fide groups like the SPCA". These same veterinarians euthanize animals brought to them by the SPCA.

Does the SPCA euthanize for space? The reason alluded to for the little cat's death was upper respiratory infection, a condition that is inexpensively and easily treated. The SPCA can claim it didn't kill her for space, but it was overcrowding that made her sick.

The SPCA cries - not enough foster homes, not enough adopters, not enough money.

I say - not aggressive enough spay/neuter programs, unlimited owner surrender, lack of feral cat programs, the list goes on ad nauseum.

How many owners are told the hard cold truth about the chances of their surrendered animal finding a home? Are they only seeing the SPCA's feel-good posters and glossy magazine covers of happily adopted animals with their proud new families? Perhaps they should be called in to sign the euthanasia permission form at the veterinarians and hold their own pet while it dies.

I would spend every minute of every day that I could at the local SPCA, photographing animals, updating the website, pounding the pavement for homes either permanent or foster, raising community awareness, taking animals in for medical care, the list is endless. But I cannot do any of that as long as the SPCA continues to kill the animals in its centres. My heart would shrivel up and die. I have to wonder...how many others feel the same way? How many volunteers would be flooding the local SPCA with offers to help if they truly were a "no kill" Society?

I have adopted many sick animals from the SPCA and provided them with medical care from my own pocket. I do not have the community donations to offset my expenses so my resources are limited. Just think of what we could accomplish together!