FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Ria Brown, Public Information Specialist, Lee County Animal Services
(239) 432-2090 Ext. 241
Fort Myers, Florida, 6/10/03—As Lee County Animal Services launched its campaign to promote shelter cat adoptions during the crisis of “kitten season,” shelter employees arrived to find one of the largest overnight deposits of cats and kittens left at the shelter in a single night. Twenty-three cats and kittens were left in the shelter’s night cages on the evening of June 9.
May to November is when shelters experience the largest intake of cats. Female cats can have as many as three litters during this time. The shelter took in 5,777 cats in 2002. One hundred three owners claimed their cats, 795 were adopted into new homes and 137 were released to other agencies. Over 4,500 had to be euthanized. These are grim statistics particularly for shelter workers who must care for them daily.
Lee County Animal Services wants all pet owners to understand that the solution to ending this tragedy is up to them. When owners allow their pets to roam freely and breed they are contributing to the death of most of their pets’ offspring. Dropping off the unwanted litters at local shelters does nothing to solve this problem, as shelters are powerless to find homes that simply do not exist. The number of homeless pets in Lee County is ten times greater than the number of available homes.
The agency encourages pet owners to contact their veterinarian without delay to schedule spay or neuter surgery and discuss the associated health benefits. Discounts on the surgery can be obtained from local veterinarians who participate in Lee County’s Voucher Program that uses license fee money to offset the cost of the procedure. Pet owners who cannot afford a full service veterinary clinic should call Affordable Spay Neuter of Lee County which provides low-cost surgery.
Photos of the cats and kittens left in Animal Services’ night cages may be viewed on their website, www.LeeLostPets.com. For more information on cat overpopulation or adopting a shelter cat, visit the website or call (239) 432-2083.