Let’s take a look at what your support allowed us to do over the last year:
Canine Spays: 123
Canine Neuters: 130
Feline Spays: 54
Feline Neuters: 59
TNR Spays: 76
TNR Neuters: 50
This is a grand total of 492 spays and neuters for 2020. Some were MTOL-funded, but many were from our low-cost spay and neuter days. Some people would have found a way to spay and neuter anyway, but I think many of these would not have been able to afford the surgery for their pets if we had not been able to offer these events.
We began testing dogs over six months for heartworms as part of our low-cost spay/neuter package. We tested 211 dogs. 27 tested heartworm positive. Sadly, I don’t think too many people acted to get their dogs treated, but we are treating every shelter dog that tests positive for heartworms. We use the slow kill method, which is less expensive. In some cases, just putting your dog on heartworm prevention each month can slow the growth of heartworms and prolong your dog’s life. Should your dog ever test positive for heartworms, please discuss treatments with your veterinarian to determine what treatment is best for your dog.
We started testing cats for FIV/FeLV but we soon discovered we weren’t able to test the most vulnerable cats and decided we were wasting our money. The cats most vulnerable for FIV and FeLV are outdoor cats and feral cats. We don’t have a solution for cats who test positive (of the 47 cats we tested, only one was positive, but we didn’t test on barn cat days). There is no cure. If someone is available to watch them and they are catchable, when they begin having health problems, early intervention can prolong their lives. For instance, I have two cats who are FIV positive. I monitor them for injuries that don’t heal quickly and get them in for antibiotic support. Ideally, we’d have a cat sanctuary for FIV/FeLV positive cats to be protected and live out their lives. We’re not at that point in our growth as an organization yet. (My personal dream is for a cat sanctuary with the space, funding for medical care, housing, and staff to support a place for every cat who needs one.)
One of the things we do to ease the burden of unwanted animals in Milam County is to arrange transport to other states or rescues. This year, we transported 14 cats and 175 dogs to new lives outside of Milam County.
We fostered at least 54 cats (not counting cats fostered for the City of Cameron Shelter) and 38 dogs (not counting dogs fostered for the City of Cameron or City of Rockdale Shelter). Fostering gives animals a chance. They get to learn to live in a family environment, which means they have a better chance of having a successful adoption. We tend to foster mostly puppies waiting for transport or a trip to a rescue, but sometimes we also foster county dogs waiting for a home. Since there is no county shelter, this is important.
We took more than $47,000 in donations this year. We have spent over $45,000 with cash in reserve for funding the next two snip and chip events in 2021 — or for emergencies. We spent at least $40,000 in veterinary services, $1600 in foster support, $1,000 in microchips (we do this as a community service, but your donations help us buy more microchips), the remaining expenditures went to TNR costs, transport preparation expenses (wormer, vaccines, syringes), and operating costs (I love when we have to buy stamps — that means we have a lot to be thankful for).
Looking ahead to 2021, we’re not planning on making major changes. Our goal is to create an operational rhythm that both you and we can plan around. For instance, we plan to have a low-cost or shelter snip and chip on the third Wednesday of each month. The location will change. We plan to have Barn Cat days on the first Wednesday of the month, alternating with Wellness Days. The plan is Barn Cat Day (Jan, May, Sep), Wellness Day (Cameron, Feb, Jun, Oct), Wellness Day (Rockdale, Mar, July, Nov), and Wellness Day (To Be Determined, April, August, Dec). By doing this, if you need low-cost services in your community, you can better plan. If you have an emergency, please don’t wait.
As we are able, we plan to attend available outreach events so you can talk to us to find out more about what we do or to see how you can help. We’ve been getting some tremendous, top quality volunteers over the last year, and we’re thrilled to be able to offer more opportunities for people who want to help.
If you’d like to help us get started funding Low-Cost Snip and Chip events for 2021, you may contribute with a credit card here:
Milam Touch of Love
or simply mail us a check or money order at Milam Touch of Love, PO Box 543, Cameron, TX 76520.
We thank you for all your support. Together, we’re making a difference in Milam County, One Life at a Time.