The West Tennessee Animal Coalition has taken on the enormous mission of facilitating the efforts of animal welfare groups in 26 counties.

Every pet rescue and shelter faces the same crisis: too many animals and limited resources.

"Everybody needs money, and everybody's doing their own thing," said coalition president Kathy Sumpter of Carroll County. "A fund-raising program benefits us both and doesn't take up a lot of their time."

When officers and members met in early December in Jackson, the primary subjects were fund raising, spay/neuter and how to help those working for humane treatment of animals in Tennessee.

Among those in attendance were Sandy Evans, director of the Jackson-Madison County Humane Society; and Koie Smith, a shelter board member and volunteer who works as an information technology specialist for a downtown law firm.

"Puppies die because too many are being born," Evans said. "Education is our primary function, especially the children. They remember the numbers."

As stated at the closing of a coalition member's discussion group e-mail: "They can't add or subtract, but they sure can multiply."

According to the Doris Day Animal Foundation, two unaltered cats and their descendants can reproduce 420,000 in seven years, and two unaltered dogs and their descendants can reach an estimated 67,000 in six years.

One solution being explored is to establish a low-cost spay/neuter clinic in the Jackson area because it's a more central location than the facilities in Nashville and Memphis. Many rescue groups transport animals a couple of times a month to these clinics to save money, but at the expense of their already stretched hours of service. Members say veterinarians in their regions also offer discounts, and grants have been acquired to help offset fees, which begin at $50 for neuters. Spays usually are $65. Costs vary by region and doctors.

The idea of setting up a mobile unit has been scrapped because "the cost is astronomical."

Another option that spay/neuter team co-leader Susan Brown of Hardin County suggested are "in-clinic clinics." Other regions of the country have had success renting veterinarian offices during off hours and hiring a veterinarian to perform the procedures.

Brown also announced her $5,000 donation to a matching fund to help spay-neuter efforts. It is open to all counties with the stipulation that the organization requesting the money match it dollar-for-dollar.

A common frustration for animal welfare groups is a lot of work for little gain, Sumpter said. The coalition wants to work parallel to rescue groups, offering support and information.

The coalition's online discussion group fields pleas for foster homes; pet transportation to adoptions and fosters; updates on animal cruelty cases and calls to attend the trials; alerts of missing animals and their photos; pet care tips; questions about restitution in caring for seized animals; and advise on how to operate rescues and seek donations.

Fund raising includes sponsorships of triathletes during the Memphis in May barbecue extravaganza, and recycling projects.

"Little things raised more than $5,000," said Linda Parker of Carroll County, who encouraged bake sales, pet portraits and walks to raise money.

Smith said parties and gifts for animals are another way to help the cause.

A simple way to contribute is through GoodSearch, which donates a percentage of proceeds to designated charities and schools. The search engine's site explains that 100 supporters of an organization with an average of two searches a day can raise an estimated $730. Visit www.goodsearch.com. To help the coalition, enter WTAC as your charity.

The West Tennessee Animal Coalition is a nonprofit organization that includes the following counties: Benton, Carroll, Chester, Crockett, Decatur, Dyer, Fayette, Gibson, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Houston, Humphreys, Lake, Lauderdale, Madison, McNairy, Obion, Perry, Shelby, Stewart, Tipton, Wayne and Weakley.

Contact:
West Tennessee Animal Coalition
P.O. Box 1003
Huntingdon, TN 38344
(901) 541-5090 (Please Leave a Message)
info@westtnanimalcoalition.org
http://WestTnAnimalCoalition.org

See the Article By Karen J. Boothby

Photo: Sandy Evans, Jackson-Madison County Humane Society Executive Director