The Texas Pit Crew, an all-volunteer animal rescue organization in Wichita Falls, Texas, not only rescues abandon cats and dogs, but they also educate pet owners and point them toward local resources for help. Local resources like P.E.T.S. (Preventing Euthanasia Through Sterilization) which offers a low cost spay and neuter program.
Getting pets spayed or neutered seems to be the best way to lower the number of homelessness animals. With the determination and dedication of volunteers and skilled veterinarians, P.E.T.S. has spayed and neutered almost 25,000 animals to date. This means they have prevented an estimated 370,000 puppies and kittens from being born in the Wichita Falls area. When you consider that those 370,000 would have had puppies and kittens of their own, the difference they are making is very significant.
The Street Team for the Texas Pit Crew is Jeremiah Love and Kelly Bryant. Jeremiah and Kelly, along with anybody else who wants to help, hand out informational packets about spaying, neutering and proper restraining. Chaining animals has recently been outlawed in Wichita Falls, so this is another area in which the Street Team can educate the public.
The Street Team has a pretty good presence on the streets and has been functioning for two years now. In the winter they provide straw and dog houses to the people that need help.
They except donations of dog houses and straw to go into the dog houses. This helps keep the animal a little bit warmer throughout the winter time for those that are left outside 24/7. They need crates, leashes, collars, dog food and monetary donations as well.
“Wal-Mart actually donates all of their broken bags of dog food every weekend to us. We’re working on a pet pantry, getting it set up, and giving back to the community, and helping people who may be having a hard time for that month to help feed their animals. Explained Kelly Bryant
“We try to be more proactive rather than just reactive. We pull animals from animal services and off the streets that would otherwise be euthanized. Then we’re able to put them into foster homes.” Jeremiah Love added.
Texas Pit Crew could do what they do without the all the volunteer foster homes. They don’t have a facility to keep these animals. They also have to make sure the foster care volunteers are good people, and are going to take good care of the animals.
They have a very strict adoption process. They even do background checks and home checks just to make sure these animals go to the right home. They do have to turn people down sometimes.
The Humane Society of the United States estimates that about 2.7 million healthy, adoptable cats and dogs—about one every 11 seconds—are put down in U.S. shelters each year. Often these animals are the offspring of cherished family pets. According to the Humane Society of the United States, spaying and neutering is a proven way to reduce pet overpopulation, ensuring that every pet has a family to love them.
Visit The Pit Crew online at: http://TexasPitCrew.org
Written by William Wells – William is a Business Journalist and an Online News Media Strategist based out of Wichita Falls, Texas: http://WilliamStevenWells.com