Advocates for Animals is a non profit organization dedicated to helping dogs in shelters throughout southwest Georgia. We rescue over 300 dogs each year from shelters in Thomas, Brooks, Colquitt, Mitchell and Lowndes counties. Euthanasia is a weekly ( sometimes daily) reality in shelters across the nation. When there are no more cages to house dogs, shelter personnel must face the difficult task of euthanizing animals that are less likely to be adopted. Most shelters have standard hold times for dogs that allow owners to reclaim a dog that was lost or seized by animal control officials. Once the hold period is over, a dog's time in the shelter depends on the shelter's capacity and funding. Space and costs are the unavoidable factors that force shelters to euthanize. Our local shelters serves large rural counties and take in thousands of dogs each year. Over seventy-five percent of these dogs must be euthanized because shelters lack the space and funding to hold dogs indefinitely. In addition to space issues, shelters face budgetary constraints that do not allow them to treat dogs who are sick or injured. Whenever possible, Advocates for Animals assists these dogs by providing the veterinary care they need. We, too, face budget limitations. We are not always able to afford the cost of treating every dog who needs our help, but we try to help as many dogs as possible. It is not unusual for our monthly veterinary costs to exceed several thousand dollars. We also face space constraints and do not always have room for more dogs. We visit local shelters several times each week to identify dogs who need assistance and pull new dogs whenever we have space available to house them. We work to increase adoption numbers through greater exposure for adoptable dogs via the internet, television, newpapers and local adoption events. We also work in collaboration with other rescue groups who help our dogs find permanent homes. We make weekly transports to help dogs reach adopters and other rescues. We hope to lower the numbers of dogs euthanized each year by increasing community awareness about animal control laws, the importance of spay/neuter and proper training techniques.
