Most of us have seen the prevalent Facebook or Craigslist posts in which dogs have unwanted litters of puppies, and the human owners just give away the offspring, or sell them for a few bucks.
Those puppies, however, have not been spayed or neutered, nor are their parents — so the problem just keeps growing.
But with a Clinton County Humane Society program called Project Abigail, the shelter is not only able to take in the baby animals, give them vaccinations and spay/neuter them, but is also able to spay the mother and father dogs to prevent more unwanted puppies, free of charge, as long as conditions are met.
Since Project Abigail started, the shelter has received at least 50 percent fewer litters of unwanted puppies. The Clinton County dog warden has helped reduce the numbers by sharing Project Abigail with those who have unwanted baby animals.
Project Abigail began in 2009 as a response to overwhelming litters of puppies being brought to the shelter at 1760 Fife Ave. in Wilmington. Abigail was the name of a mama dog who not only nursed her own puppies but ended up saving two other litters of puppies — one group whose mother had been killed and another group that had been dumped by their owners.
In hopes of preventing more outbreaks of unwanted animals, the Clinton County Humane Society launched Project Abigail to allow it to take litters of unwanted puppies, spay and neuter them, then find them loving homes. Also, the mothers and fathers can be spayed and neutered at zero cost to the owners — allowing them to stay with their families, because adult dogs are especially difficult to adopt out.
Spaying and neutering can help stop the vicious cycle of unwanted animals breeding exponentially, with most ending up at various shelters or the county dog pound — or tied to the end of a chain.
The humane society needs help in spreading the word, so if you see posts giving away litters of unwanted puppies or kittens, please tell the the people who post to call the shelter at (937) 383-0703 or email [email protected]. Just keep in mind: “Prevent a litter: Fix your critter!”
The Clinton County Humane Society is not a government agency and is completely dependent on the financial assistance of generous animal lovers and its adoption fees. Because it is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, donations to the Clinton County Humane Society are deductible to the full extent of the law.
To donate to Project Abigail, please use PayPal on the website at clintoncohumanesociety.org or you can write to Clinton County Humane Society, Attn: Project Abigail, PO Box 1024, Wilmington OH 45177. In the future, the humane society hopes to include cats in Project Abigail but currently is restricted by financial limitations.
