Did You know?

• Average number of litters a fertile cat can produce in one year: 3
   
• Average number of kittens in a feline litter: 4–6
   
• In seven years, one female cat and her offspring can theoretically produce 420,000 cats.
   
• Only one out of 12 cats born ever find a permanent home.
   
• There are 45 cats and dogs for every one person born.
   
• 450 dogs and cats are destroyed each HOUR in the U.S. because there are not enough homes for them!

Most animals in shelters are pets whose owners can no longer care for them for a variety of reasons. Here are the top 7 reasons given to www.peteducation.com:

• Owners are moving and cannot take their pet with them.
   
• Owners have health problems.
   
• Owners have become incapacitated or died.
   
• Owners do not have time for the pet because of changes in their lifestyle, e.g., new baby, ill family member.
   
• Owners have other pets who do not get along with this one.
   
• Owners realize they should never have gotten a pet.
   
• Other animals are brought to shelters because they are homeless or come from abusive situations.
   

• Eugene has more than 33,500 dogs. Only 7,550 dogs are licensed, a compliance rate of 22 percent. Compliance is estimated to be even lower in Springfield and other towns and rural areas in Lane County.

  Cost to license dogs: Spayed or neutered, $15 one-year; $25 two-year; $35 three-year; nonaltered, $35 one-year; $55 two-year, $70 three-year. Licenses can be acquired at some vet clinics and at LCARA.

For more information