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Lulu’s Rescue, a nonprofit all-breed dog rescue based in Pennsylvania, is preparing to donate a “pod” that will bring low-cost spay/neuter services to Rutherford County.
“Our goal is to support the local residents and PAWS volunteers who are working tirelessly to make Rutherford County a No-Kill Community,” said Michele Armstrong, executive director of Lulu’s Rescue. “This pod will be the first in a series we are creating, all from re-purposed construction trailers that otherwise would sit unused. Spay/neuter is a key component to solving the problem of homeless dogs, and we are thrilled to be able to support PAWS as it tackles this problem in Rutherford County.”
Lulu’s Rescue chose to work with PAWS because the Rutherford County group is taking the No-Kill approach instead of relying on outdated ideas about housing and, ultimately, killing homeless dogs in an animal-control facility. More than 500 communities nationwide have shown that No-Kill is achievable if officials and volunteers implement spay/neuter programs along with other help for residents.
During the past eight months, to help PAWS continue moving toward No-Kill for Rutherford County, Lulu’s Rescue has provided more than 16,000 pounds of high-quality pet food that was distributed to more than 1,850 animals in the community. PAWS has spayed or neutered 130 dogs and cats at no cost to low-income families, with more than 200 additional surgeries scheduled before the end of August. PAWS sponsored a $5 rabies clinic that benefited 200 local animals, and has another clinic planned. Lulu’s Rescue and PAWS have so far worked together to place 48 puppies and adult dogs in forever homes instead of letting them languish or be killed in a facility.
In addition to the work PAWS and Lulu’s Rescue are doing to help people with their dogs and other pets, the groups also stepped up to donate 300 coats and nearly 1,000 diapers to low-income Rutherford County families this past winter.
Rutherford County will be the first beneficiary for the Lulu’s Rescue spay/neuter pod program, which Lulu’s began fund-raising to support in 2013. The clinic is expected to open within the next six months.
Rutherford County was chosen not only because it fits the business model for the spay/neuter services Lulu’s hopes to provide, but also because of a recent surge in local efforts to create a No-Kill Community.
“Spay/neuter is an integral part of the No-Kill Equation, and the low-cost services this clinic will provide should go a long way toward helping Rutherford residents achieve their goals,” Armstrong says.
Dog owners will be able to drop off their dogs at the clinic in the morning and pick them up post-surgery later that same day. The low financial overhead required to run a small, specialized clinic is what allows the spay/neuter services to be offered at a reduced rate. An estimated 25 to 35 spay/neuter surgeries are expected to be performed every day that the clinic is open.
“In other communities, experience tells us that doing a few dozen spay/neuter surgeries each day will dramatically reduce the number of unwanted puppies being delivered into shelters every month,” Armstrong says. “Reducing the number of homeless dogs is a key to achieving a No-Kill Community, and we’re thrilled to be able to do our part to help Rutherford County’s efforts.”
For more information, contact Michele Armstrong, Michele@lulusrescue.org.
