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week of October 10, 2004
Utah's Week for the Animals
State puts focus on homeless animals
It all began more than a decade ago with a small, lost dog dying alongside the freeway, cradled in a man's arms.
Gregory Castle posthumously named the unknown dog "Ray of Light," in recognition of the inspiration that came from his pleading brown eyes. "Can't you do better?" the dog seemed to ask.
Castle decided that he could, and must.
From the spirit of that dog blossomed Utah's Week for the Animals - a weeklong celebration of the central role animals play in our lives, and yearly rededication to treating them with the love and respect they deserve.
From October 10 to 16, Utah will commemorate its 11th annual Week for the Animals, with special events ranging from the high-society Lint Roller Party to a fun-filled celebration called Kids and Critters.
"I was looking for something that could play a part in creating more value for animals. That's always sort of been a central theme for the week, that it celebrates the importance of animals in our lives," says Castle, a founding member of Best Friends Animal Society and president of No More Homeless Pets in Utah.
In addition to fun activities for both adults and children, the week features special adoption events, fundraisers for No More Homeless Pets in Utah, and weeklong discounts on spay/neuter.
Approximately 400 people are expected to attend the Lint Roller Party in Salt Lake City on Saturday, October 16. Attendees are invited to take their dogs and "Dare to Wear Black" -- along with the pet hair that inevitably accompanies animal lovers wherever they go.
For human attendees, this year's party will feature food from some of the city's best restaurants, a live jazz band, and a large silent auction. Canine guests will be offered designer treats and spring water, free grooming, bows or bow ties, and their own special entertainment in the VIC (Very Important Canine) Lounge.
Last year the party raised about $50,000 for No More Homeless Pets in Utah, a coalition of rescue groups, shelters, and veterinarians working together to end the euthanasia of homeless dogs and cats statewide. During the last four years, the campaign has helped save the lives of 33,000 dogs and cats who otherwise would have been put down, reducing the statewide euthanasia rate by 24 percent.
Even so, Utah still kills about 35,000 homeless animals each year -- 35,000 too many, according to Castle. He says the key to ending this tragedy is an increased focus on spay/neuter.
The No More Homeless Pets in Utah campaign has already been responsible for more than 100,000 pet sterilizations performed at no or low cost, through its Big Fix mobile spay/neuter clinic and voucher programs. In the future, Castle says, the campaign is going to make an effort to better target animals belonging to low-income people. "We believe that will produce even better results," he says.
During Utah's Week for the Animals, vouchers are available to have pets sterilized for up to a 60 percent discount at veterinarians throughout the state. The week will also bring the Big Fix to Tooele and Grantsville, and feature a $9.99 Super Cat Fix at the West Valley City Animal Shelter.
Special adoption events will also be held at the Furburbia pet adoption centers in the Cottonwood Mall in Salt Lake City and the Tanger Outlet Center in Park City, and the Riverdale PETsMART in Ogden, as well as at the Humane Society of Utah and shelters throughout the state.
On Tuesday, October 12, there will be a special celebration of National Feral Cat Day (which is actually on October 16), with a party for feral cat caregivers and lovers, and distribution of winter shelters for feral cats.
But although many events will be held specifically to benefit the animals, the week is also about having fun. On Saturday, October 16, the Riverdale PETsMART will host a daylong party called Kids and Critters for children and pets, featuring storytelling, music, puppet shows, face-painting, and lots of games.
"We'd like to see a lot of animals adopted and a lot of animals spayed and neutered, and we hope to raise a lot of money at the Lint Roller Party for more adoptions and spay/neuter," says Castle.
"But we also want people to have fun. We would like to give a lot of kids a good time oriented around animals, and teach them to care about animals at the same time."
For a complete list of events featured in Utah's Week for the Animals, and information about how you can help support the No More Homeless Pets in Utah campaign, please visit the No More Homeless Pets in Utah website.
Want to organize your own week for the animals? Read this simple guide for a state, city, or neighborhood program.
