Have a heart and a hand for local animals

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Veronica Sturman -  Natchitoches has a
big stray animal problem. It takes a lot of people to solve this
problem, but there are plenty of ways that anybody can help.  This article is a follow up to last week's article about some of the facilities locally.


The most important thing for all people who have dogs or cats to do is
to spay and neuter their animals. I asked Chief Micky Dove what he
wanted to tell the public, and he answered, “The public needs to know
that they should spay and neuter their dogs.” Juanita Murphy, from the
Humane Society, agreed and added that people can also tell others to
spay and neuter their pets.

If you’re in the market for a
pet, consider adopting from a shelter rather than buying from a breeder.
According to the Humane Society of the United States, mixed breeds
offer several advantages over pure breeds. When you adopt a mixed breed,
you get the benefit of more than one breed. Mixed breeds may also be
less prone to genetic defects common to certain purebred dogs and cats.
Of course, another reason to adopt a mixed breed pet is because lots and
lots are waiting in shelters for a kind family.

If you’re
not interested in getting a pet of your own or you can’t make a long
term commitment to a pet, consider fostering. Call your local Humane
Society to become a foster family. You then feed, water, and love a pet
until the Humane Society can find it a permanent home.


Donating is one of the simplest ways to help. You can donate pet food,
kitty litter, old blankets, chew toys, or flea pills. Money is always
good too. You can make a donation directly to one of the shelters or to
the Humane Society.

My favorite way to help is to walk dogs
for Happy Tails. You can pick up a dog at Happy Tails and take it for a
walk downtown on the riverfront. Walking the dogs can get them
socialized and may help them find permanent homes. Be sure to call
Deputy Wright and make an appointment before driving out.


Local animals need our help. If every person did just a little bit, our
problem would decrease tremendously. Don’t expect someone else to do it,
because if everybody thinks that nobody would be helping out. Now that

you know some of the ways to help, ask yourself, “Will I help?”