Warmer months bring an increase in the number of ads for kittens and puppies that are “free to a good home.”

Our community’s pets produce far more beautiful kittens and puppies than can be placed locally.  As well-meaning pet owners and rescuers desperately search for good homes for these babies, ads are posted mentioning the very enticing word, “FREE.”

Unfortunately, the expectation of  “free” pet ownership ultimately creates very high costs for the pets and for our community. Pets, especially “rescued” pets, have a capacity to love unconditionally and give far more than they ever receive.  They enrich our lives in many ways that are simply priceless. But responsible pet ownership is not priceless. The new owner of a “free” pet needs to provide basic food, shelter, flea and tick prevention, and medical care. According to figures published by ASPCA, the first year cost of a new pet can be $450-900 or more including spay/neuter surgery and initial vaccines.

As long as the pet is well cared for, vaccinated and altered, the rescuer can normally look forward to enjoying many years of companionship. Sadly, many people who accept “free” puppies and kittens or take in adult strays are unaware and unprepared for the expenses, or are overburdened by large numbers of “rescues” despite the best of intentions. Even when rescued pets are given food, shelter and love, the necessary basic vaccines and spay/neuter surgery are frequently omitted. Many young pets that do not receive vaccinations and preventative medical care ultimately die painful and completely preventable deaths from diseases like parvovirus.

When pets are not spayed/neutered, they will begin breeding before the age of 1 year. Cats often produce three litters yearly with four to six kittens in each litter, and dogs often produce two litters of six to 10 pups each. Theoretically, one female cat and her offspring can produce 420,000 kittens in seven years and one female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 dogs in 6 years. Once a pet starts this cycle of having litters, the owner is faced with raising the litters and then trying to place them into good homes, or surrendering the litter to a shelter. By then, the owner usually regrets not having the surgery. In desperation, they give puppies and kittens (and often the parent dog or cat) away “free to a good home” and the cycle continues.

Last year, the Natchez-Adams County Humane Society (NACHS) took in almost 1,800 pets, 66 percent of which were puppies and kittens from unwanted litters.

Nationally, 6 to 8 million pets enter shelters each year and nearly half are euthanized even though they are adoptable. By increasing our local adoptions and participating in a transport program, NACHS has dramatically reduced the local euthanasia rate and our goal is to not euthanize any healthy, adoptable pets. However, saving lives is a very expensive business and ultimately this low euthanasia rate may not be sustainable unless we receive a broader base of community and governmental financial support.

We are on the eve of moving into a more spacious new shelter building, but even this new facility is not large enough to house all of the unwanted litters nor could we afford to care for them indefinitely. The most humane and sustainable solution is for our community to decrease the numbers of homeless pets. Other communities across the nation have solved their problems of pet overpopulation through widespread spay and neuter participation, and it is within our power to do likewise. Providing spay/neuter surgery for your own pet is the single most important step you can take. Adopt your next pet from a shelter and encourage your friends and neighbors to do likewise. Pets adopted from NACHS get their first vaccinations and spay/neuter surgery included in the very low adoption fee of $45 for a dog or puppy and $35 for a cat or kitten. Currently the fee is discounted and two cats or kittens can be adopted for $35.

For more information on adoption from NACHS go to natchezpetadoptions.org.

In an effort to help local pet owners end the cycle of repetitive litters and help keep the parents of litters in their homes, NACHS offers a spay/neuter voucher to the pet owner when litters are surrendered to our shelter.

Another resource for help with the cost of surgery is Mississippi Spay and Neuter — msspan.org.

Local veterinarians are key in this equation for preventing unwanted litters, so please remember that they are small businesses that need our support as much as our pets need them. NACHS would like to extend special thanks to the volunteers who put on the recent fundraiser “Spayghetti and No Balls,” which helps fund the work of Mississippi Spay and Neuter, and our local veterinarians who perform surgeries on shelter pets.

Kathy Fitch is president of the Natchez Adams County Humane Society board of directors.