(Alameda, CA-May 19, 2001) Six months into the campaign to save every healthy shelter cat and dog in the town of Lodi (CA), the Lodi Pet Saving Connectionhas posted impressive results.
The coalition includes a no-kill rescue organization, an animal control agency and seven out of the eight local private practice veterinary hospitals. The coalition is gauging progress towards its five-year goal by monitoring three benchmarks of achievement:
Adoptions: Adoptions rose 44% in comparison to the same six-month period in 1999. Lodi Animal Services increased adoptions by 52%; the no-kill lead agency, Animal Friends Connection, increased adoptions by 39%.
The goal for this first six months was to boost adoptions by 56 cats and dogs over 1999's adoption baseline for the same time period. Thecoalition exceeded its goal by finding homes for 217 cats and dogs over last year's baseline. Total adoptions numbered 714.
Shelter deaths: In the project's first six months, shelter deaths at Animal Services declined 14% in comparison to the same time period in 1999.The goal for this first six months was to decrease shelter deaths by 56 cats and dogs. The coalition exceeded its goal, decreasing deaths by 76.
Spay/neuter surgeries: The original goal was to implement a coupon program to increase spay/neuter surgeries by 280 in six months. At the six-month mark, 527 vouchers had been redeemed for spay/neuter surgery, exceeding the goal by 88%. Lodi veterinarians have ramped up their own spay/neuter work. Community wide spay/neuter surgeries have gone from 2,487 to 4,903, a 97% increase over the same six month period last year.
The Lodi Pet Saving Connection is funded by a grant from Maddie's Fund,a pet rescue foundation whose goal is to help animal shelters throughout the nation establish community-wide adoption guarantees for healthy cats and dogs within five years.
"Lodi's numbers have far exceeded goal in every category," says Maddie's Fund President Rich Avanzino. "And kudos are deserved by all the coalition partners. The participating veterinarians have been super heroes, doing far more spay/neuter surgeries than anyone had hoped for. Lodi Animal Services has done a fantastic job of building up their adoption program. Animal Friends Connection not only exceeded their own goals but provided the rest of the coalition partners with outstanding leadership. Our hats are off to all."
For a detailed report on the first six months of the Lodi Pet Saving Connection project, visit the Maddie's Fund website at www.maddiesfund.org.
The Lodi Pet Saving Connection partners include Animal Friends Connection, Lodi Animal Services, Lodi Veterinary Hospital, Lodi Spay and Neuter, Arbor Pet Clinic, Morada Veterinary Hospital, Harris Veterinary Hospital, San Joaquin Veterinary Clinic, Cherokee Veterinary Hospital, Oakwood Veterinary Hospital, Mokelumne Veterinary Hospital, Bear Creek Veterinary Hospital and Stockton Spay & Neuter.
