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Stokes humane society to fight overpopulation
Economy makes it tough to get folks to spay or neuter pets
Journal Photo by Jennifer Rotenizer
Mona Singleton, a longtime animal advocate in Stokes County, is fostering five dogs.
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Published: June 28, 2009
WALNUT COVE - In her work with an animal-rescue group in Stokes County, Mona Singleton has placed a lot of pets in loving homes.
That felt like a valuable service, but she wanted to do more.
"I just started thinking that I was simply putting a Band-Aid on a dam that was continually overflowing," she said.
A few months ago, she and her fiance, Danny Triplett, decided that the best way to serve the county's animals was to start a humane society and make fighting overpopulation its chief goal.
Singleton, Triplett and others involved with the new Stokes County Humane Society are in the early stages of arranging trips for people to have their pets spayed or neutered at local veterinarians' offices.
They also hope to one day offer financial assistance for people who can't afford the procedures.
During tough economic times, people often can't find the money to spend $50 or so to have their pets spayed or neutered, Singleton said.
Phillip Handy, the chief animal-control officer for the county, said that getting those procedures performed at a discounted rate should eventually lead to fewer animals at the shelter, which can house about 25 dogs and is almost always full.
"That will have a huge impact on the number of animals in the shelter, but it will probably take a year or two before we see a difference. Vet prices are expensive and when people are going through hard times, it's hard for people to afford something like that," Handy said.
Besides spaying or neutering, some pet owners also are having trouble paying for food.
"People are honest with you and tell that they can't afford to keep them," Handy said.
Dr. Deborah Cowan, a veterinarian with the Animal Hospital of Walnut Cove, said that the economy has affected pet owners in Stokes County in many ways.
"People come in at least every other day and say, ‘I'm trying to find a home for my cat, dog, bird or fish.' People are losing their homes and moving somewhere where they can't have pets or they're moving in with their mom and dad who already have pets," she said.
Cowan agreed that a program to make spaying and neutering easier and more affordable could have a big effect on the county's animal population.
"The biggest problem we have is educating our population that pets are not a commodity but a living, breathing thing and need to be cared for properly," she said. "Because of our rural background, we tend to forget that you really should spay and neuter your dogs and cats. Unlike livestock that may produce one offspring a year, your dogs and cats are producing humongous amounts."
One way the new humane society wants to help reduce the costs of pet ownership is by placing donation boxes around the county where people can drop off food, leashes, bowls and other supplies, Singleton said. Keeping pets with their owners is a priority, she said.
In a few years, the humane society hopes to have its own shelter.
Singleton, who has five dogs, has been an advocate for animals in Stokes County for several years. She helped start Animal Rescue of Stokes County and is the chairwoman of the Stokes County Animal Control Advisory Board.
As a child, she used to bring stray cats and dogs home.
"My mother was forever squalling at me to ‘Get that cat out of here,'" Singleton said with a laugh. "It's just been a lifelong thing. I've always had empathy for animals that you'd find on the side of the road."
■ Lisa O'Donnell can be reached at 727-7420 or at lodonnell@wsjournal.com.
■ To learn more about the Stokes County Humane Society, call 994-6117.
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