A Growing Problem......

I got this article from The Humane Society of the United States in my e-mail today. I thought it would be good to post here.

Everyone have a good day!

Every Nine Seconds: How a Compelling New Campaign is Saving Homeless Animals

February 18, 2005

©2003 One Day at a Time For many people, the numbers are too staggering to comprehend. An estimated three to four million animals are euthanized every year in America simply because too few people visit local shelters to adopt them. But where others see an overwhelming struggle, Diane Leigh and Marilee Geyer see hope.

Their new campaign, Every Nine Seconds—a reference to the rate at which homeless animals are euthanized in the United States—aims to educate people about the crisis of pet overpopulation. The former animal shelter workers, founders of the non-profit organization No Voice Unheard, and authors of the book One at a Time: A Week in an American Animal Shelter, are tireless advocates for homeless animals.

"We want to see a day, in our lifetimes, when no animal dies in a shelter for lack of a home, and we hope the Every Nine Seconds campaign can play some role in making that day a reality," says Leigh.

The goal of Every Nine Seconds is to provide free copies of One at a Time to 1,000 American shelters. The campaign calls for people to "adopt" a shelter of their choice by submitting a description of an animal who has touched their life. No Voice Unheard will then donate a copy of the book to a shelter in honor of that animal. The project is funded by donations, making dedications free to the public.

"Hundreds of shelters across the country are already using the book as an educational tool in their own communities—putting it in their lobby or waiting area, getting it into their local libraries, giving it to their local elected officials—and we want to make it available to even more shelters," explains Leigh.

The campaign, which was launched in January, will continue until 1,000 dedications have been received. Already, No Voice Unheard has received hundreds of touching tributes from people across the country. “The dedications honoring special animals have just blown us away, says Leigh. "They are so moving and profound."

The powerful bond that people and animals share is something that Leigh and Geyer understand well. Years of experience in shelter environments inspired them to found No Voice Unheard with the specific mission of publishing and distributing One at a Time. In the future, No Voice Unheard plans to take on similar projects with the goal of "promoting an ethic of reverence for all living beings." For now, Leigh and Geyer are focused on using One at a Time to educate and inspire. Their eloquent and candid tribute to homeless animals in America has been a tremendous success, with reviewers praising it as "remarkable" and "riveting."

"The book's power lies not just in its compelling prose but in the way it's presented: through the individual stories of 75 dogs and cats who entered a California shelter in one week. Startling in its honesty, yet overflowing with compassion for animals and the people who care for them, this book is unlike any other that has ever been written about animal homelessness," writes Nancy Lawson, editor of Animal Sheltering magazine.

The problem of pet overpopulation will not disappear overnight. But every ounce of education and prevention brings our society one step closer to solving the crisis. "The problems behind these shelter numbers are preventable, and the solutions are in all of our hands," says Leigh.

No matter how insignificant their actions may seem, everyone can make a difference. Here's how you can help:

Sponsor a Shelter Dedicate a free copy of the book One at a Time to an animal shelter of your choice. Log on to www.EveryNineSeconds.org to submit a photo and description of a special animal in your life, or mail your information to: No Voice Unheard, P.O. Box 4171, Santa Cruz, CA 95063.

Adopt an Animal Know someone who's interested in opening their home to a pet? Direct them to search online at www.Pets911.com or encourage them to visit their local shelter.

Support Spay/Neuter Spaying or neutering is the first step in preventing pet overpopulation. Help spread the word by reminding your friends, relatives, and co-workers how essential this simple procedure is.