By Carey Sharp

Mower County Humane Society

I saw a sign posted on a tree in front of a house recently that made me cringe: “Free Kittens.”

Signs and ads like this are a constant source of frustration for volunteers at the Mower County Humane Society. Many of these cute kittens will be taken home on the spot by people who have given no thought to the responsibility of pet ownership. They will probably end up abandoned or be allowed to run loose, most likely producing more unwanted litters.

The MCHS is flooded on a daily basis with requests from people asking us to take in cats and kittens. Many of these calls involve multiple cats or entire litters of kittens. Our shelter is currently home to around 114 cats. Unfortunately, 80 is our desired and seemingly unattainable number. The strain placed upon our cat-side volunteers is extremely harsh and our organization simply can’t accommodate all the requests.

Some people resort to desperate measures.

In the past couple of months, three cats were dropped off in the MCHS parking lot. Animal abandonment is an illegal act. Because we are always at capacity, drop-offs such as this must go to the city pound and could end up being euthanized. If a person is caught dumping an animal at our facility, law enforcement will be notified.

The MCHS takes care of all health issues, along with spaying and neutering. The $75 adoption fee is very reasonable considering the cost of the veterinary care each cat receives.

No cat or kitten is adopted out until he or she has been neutered or spayed and is deemed healthy.

Gusty is a wonderful example of the cats that we receive. She’s a sixmonth-old tortoise shell who came to us from the city pound, missing an eye due to a birth defect.

She might be missing an eye, but it’s done nothing to squash her spirit. Our volunteers have taken terrific care of her and she is ready for a wonderful, indoor home.

Mower County has a problem with cat overpopulation. A domesticated cat should not have even one litter. The MCHS sponsors a spay and neuter clinic every year in association with the Austin Veterinary Clinic, providing reduced cost surgeries. Our shelter will once again host the Minnesota Spay and Neuter Assistance Program Wagon on Sept. 10, providing feline neuters for $40 and spays for $50. Call 437-9262 for details.

The annual “Walk for Animals” will be held on Sunday, Sept. 11, at the Mill Pond in Austin. Prizes will be given to the top fundraisers.

Refreshments will be provided. Pledge forms are available at MCHS, Austin Veterinary Clinic, Double K Specialty, and the Austin Public Library.

Finally, we gratefully acknowledge donations received in memory of Lucy Everson, Abby and Flanders Goss, Amos, and Dorothy Meany, Kenneth Soderberg, and Marilyn Hogan.