My Cousin Doc Halligan on AP "Groomer Has It"

My cousin Karen is a Shelter vet and is also a judge on the Animal Planet's show "Groomer Has it". She posted this on the shows blog...PLEASE adopt your pets from your local shelters!
Bugs & Hisses
patty



Doc Halligan Blogs: Ep. 8 - Rescue Me
I may be biased but this was my favorite episode so far! It was also nice for a change not to have to send anyone home. I was really touched by all of the groomers, because although it was edited out, they all got very emotional visiting the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Los Angeles (spcaLA). Shelter animals can do that to you!

I have been a shelter vet for ten years now and I’m extremely proud to be part of such an amazing organization, which was started in 1877, whose mission statement is to be a voice for the animals. Every year, roughly 4 million animals are euthanized in our county because there are not enough homes, so please check out your local shelters because I can guarantee you there are some wonderful four-legged creatures just waiting for someone to take them home and become your friend for life.

I also want to take the opportunity to clear up a huge misconception with regards to donations. I think it can best be clarified if I quote my boss Madeline Bernstein, who is the president of spcaLA and said in a statement from this past April regarding an aggressively targeted Los Angeles marketing campaign from the ASPCA in New York. “There are many who mistakenly believe that aspca is an umbrella organization that channels funds to spcas across the country. This has never been the case and spcas all over the United States have to work constantly to make this clear. This is a matter of survival. Without funds, spcaLA and other spcas would not be able to serve the communities which they represent. The recent series of television commercials focusing on shelter animals is particularly successful in diverting funds from your spcaLA and other spcas in the surrounding area. Such national advertising can be misleading to the donors who often generously give under the impression that the funds will return to their home state or community, as is the case for many national charity models. But again, there is no national spca that distributes donations. Sadly, local animals are simply deprived of these funds.”

So if you really want to help animals in your community seek out your local spca. Please help spread the word to other pet lovers because in these hard economic times, non-profit agencies like the spcaLA are funded solely by donations and all of them have been hit hard due to the economy. Plus, there has been a 30% increase in animals being turned into the shelters across the country.

These shelter animals deserve a second chance at life and by volunteering or donating you can really make a big difference. If you want to follow the spcaLA you can do so on Twitter or Myspace and be sure to visit our website at www.spcaLA.com!

And kudos to all the two- and four-legged rescue workers who have made such a difference and have such a demanding job both physically and emotionally! It was truly an honor to work with Michael and hear his amazing story. Okay, I am getting emotional again so I will end with that but will talk with you all next week!

Thanks so much!

Doc Halligan
Director of Veterinary Services
spcaLA