FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Date: January 23, 2008

Contact: Carol Ann MacKinnon, Program Coordinator, 985-3244 ex. 117, carolann@animalwelfaresociety.org

The Animal Welfare Society Finds Homes for over 1500 Cats in 2007

In a year that was especially full of challenges The Animal Welfare Society still managed to find homes for over 1500 cats in 2007. Cats, as well as dogs and various small animals, come to the shelter located in West Kennebunk, Maine, in a variety of ways. Many are strays, some are owner surrendered and some are even found abandoned. Maine continues to have a huge cat overpopulation problem and even with the society’s Year of the Cat low-income spay neuter program, it is difficult to put a dent in it. Allowing two cats and their offspring to breed for 10 years will produce 80,399,780 cats! (Statistics from American Humane Association which assumes
two litters per year and 2.8 surviving kittens per litter) According to the Humane Society of the United States an estimated 6-8 million cats and dogs enter shelters each year.