A year-long campaign aimed at educating the public to help control the pet population has been kicked off with the unveiling of an outdoor advertising billboard in Greenwood, Blair County.
Representatives from the Central Pennsylvania Humane Society and Morgan Signs of Altoona officially unwrapped the sign, which was designed and donated to CPHS by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The sign’s message reads: “Show Your Love, Neuter Your Pet” and “Pets Will Live Longer, Have Healthier Lives.” The sign also credits “ASPCA” and “Central Pa. Humane Society, www.altoona.net/cphs.”
Morgan donated the sign space for the 12-foot by 25-foot billboards. They’ll appear in a dozen locations on and off during the coming year according to Morgan President Dick Hall.
“We know the message will be out there,” noted Hall, an animal lover himself. “Thousands of people will be seeing the signs every day. Over the course of a year, that information is bound to sink in,” he added.
“The ASPCA National Shelter Outreach Department is thrilled that the Central Pennsylvania Humane Society was able to obtain valuable billboard space to promote the importance of spay/neuter in Central Pennsylvania,” said Audrey Ammirati, senior materials associate, ASPCA National Shelter Outreach.
“We’re extremely pleased to be partnering with the ASPCA in this campaign,” said CPHS Executive Director Dave Hopkins. “It’s an important message and we hope animal owners will take it to heart. We can’t thank Morgan Signs and Dick Hall enough for the generous contribution of their space and the ASPCA for the posters. There are so many reasons to spay or neuter. Controlling the pet population is just the start.”
The ASPCA says pet altering has a variety of great benefits. Spaying females stops the “heat cycle” and eliminates unwelcome visits by males. It also greatly reduces the chances for breast cancer or uterine disease in females or genital problems in males.
Neutering male dogs reduces their urge to roam and stops male cats from “marking” their territory. Both sexes benefit from removing discomfort, distress and distraction and free the pets to enjoy time with their owners according to experts.
Most pets can be spayed or neutered between two and five months old, before they are sexually mature. Animal experts say owners should consult with their Veterinarians to determine the best time for the procedure.
CPHS officials say everyone is affected by animal overpopulation in the form of tax dollars spent to care for abandoned and unwanted pets, damage to property or livestock by strays and the possible transference of rabies, dog bites, cat scratches and causing automobile accidents.
Left unchecked, the animal population mushrooms at an alarming rate according to CPHS.
“Take one pair of cats…a male and a female,” said Hopkins. “If neither is fixed…and none of their offspring is either, in just 6 years they can produce over 400-thousand cats! Imagine trying to control that right here in Blair County! We have our hands full right now trying to educate people to stop letting their pets breed. It’s the only way we can ever get a handle on our local pet overpopulation.”
The first billboard with the ASPCA message is located on old Route 220 in Greenwood, just north of the CPHS shelter. Other billboards will be located at various “high traffic” areas throughout the county according to Morgan Signs’ Dick Hall.
