Get Rover and
Fluffy Fixed
for Free!
Atlanta's Largest FREE Spay and Neuter Day

by Gina Carr

"Clip and Snip Atlanta"
Event Specifics

Date: April 16th, 2005

Location: PetCo, 2340 Holcomb Bridge Road, Roswell

Time: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Open to dogs 16 weeks - 3 years of age and less than 45 pounds. Open to cats 16 weeks and older. All pets must be in good general health and show proof of current vaccinations and rabies immunizations. Pre-registration required. Register at their website: Daisyhillpetfarm.org.

A sad trend continues in large cities such as Atlanta with more "unwanted" animals born every year, filling up shelters and burdening rescue organizations across the city. In Atlanta alone, it is estimated that approximately 100,000 unwanted pets are put to sleep annually, with these numbers on the increase. Across the nation, this number is estimated to be over 4,000,000.

One Atlanta animal welfare group, The Daisy Hill Pet Farm (Daisy Hill), is hoping to help reduce these numbers by having Atlanta's first free spay/neuter day. Joining forces with PetCo, one of the country's largest pet retailers, the goal is to spay and neuter a total of 300 pets (dogs, cats, puppies and kittens) during an 8 hour marathon on Saturday, April 16, 2005.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, during a seven year period of time one female cat and her offspring can theoretically produce 420,000 cats. Over a six year period of time, one female dog and her offspring can theoretically produce 67,000 dogs. "People just don't realize that even one litter of unwanted puppies or kittens increases the pet overpopulation problem exponentially. There are just not enough people to adopt, leading the majority of these animals to be put to sleep," states Joan Skelton, co-founder of Daisy Hill. "This is a grim reality that we want to start impacting in a positive way."

"Giving pet owners an opportunity to get their pet spayed or neutered for free will hopefully get people to take action that they might otherwise not," adds Janet Boyden, Daisy Hill co-founder. "We are hoping to turn this into an annual event, with a 2-day event already in the works for next year."

Largely through the efforts of Troy Hooper, the President of the Georgia Legal Professionals for Animals (GLPA) and a veterinary industry professional, dozens of local vets have agreed to donate their valuable time to support this cause. "The response from the veterinarian community has been overwhelming; we have over 25 veterinarians and 75 vet technicians scheduled to evaluate all animals properly prior to the surgical procedures and to ensure all surgeries go as smoothly as possible."

"Clip and Snip Atlanta" will be an all day affair, held at the Petco on Holcomb Bridge Road. Petco, active in a broad range of activities geared to the betterment of companion animals, is sponsoring the all day event. "This is a great opportunity to give back to the community that supports our 10 stores citywide. PetCo's customers view their pets as part of the family, and spaying and neutering mproves the health and happiness of pets and their owners," states

April Bota, Marketing Coordinator for the North and Southeastern regions.

Daisy Hill is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization focused on eliminating the euthanizing of adoptable pets in the Atlanta area by conducting adoption and spay/neuter programs and educational events. In existence since 2000, Daisy Hill has found homes for hundreds of abandoned animals, all of which have been spayed and neutered prior to adoption.

PETCO is a leading specialty retailer of premium pet food, supplies and services. PETCO operates over 720 stores in 47 states and the District of Columbia. PETCO stores offer more than 10,000 high-quality pet-related products and is a publicly traded company on Nasdaq under the PETC symbol. PetCo supports more than 2500 animal welfare groups across the country and through the PetCo Foundation, PETCO's non-profit arm, has raised and donated more than $21 million since its inception in 1999. PETCO endeavors to be a community leader in promoting the welfare of companion animals, as well as the importance of the human-animal bond.

The GLPA is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that provides legal education, consultation and pro bono services to Georgia's Law Enforcement, Animal Control Officers, District Attorneys, Shelters and Veterinarians to effect the improvement and effectiveness of Georgia's animal cruelty laws. The GLPA's work has been nationally recognized by the ASPCA, HSUS, Family Circle Magazine and the Georgia Bar, to name a few.

Animal lovers also will want to mark their calendars for another event that will help reduce the needless euthanasia of adoptable pets in Atlanta. The Second Annual Fur Ball is scheduled for June 11 at The Canton Theatre. This black-tie affair is a fun fundraiser for animal lovers and is sponsored by People4Pets, Inc., a non-profit organization established by local animal lovers Gina Carr and Felicia McAleer. Proceeds from the 2005 Fur Ball will go to fund free spay & neuter events later this year.