HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  And what a New Year it is shaping up to be for POPPA. we're already started receiving cash donations from several folks who have agreed to send monthly checks to help us fund our new Cat Trapper Extraordinaire program so we're truly hoping 2009 will be a year in which we can add at least another one thousand notches onto our spay/neuter "belt".  Wouldn't that be wonderful?  Especially since we already passed the 15K mark in Fall '08!  WOW!!!  That's a huge number of animals that won't be contributing to the problem any more.  Our thanks to all of you who helped make it possible.  Thing is, it's a bit harder for us to get the word out about POPPA's efforts since we no longer have Recycled Gardens as our official pulpit.  Because of that, we'd greatly appreciate it if all of our past supporters would become honorary mouthpieces for POPPA by telling every one of their friends how 100% of all donations to POPPA go to fund our spay/neuter programs-NOT to pay salaries or buy advertising, but rather just to pay for fixing critters whose caregivers could not otherwise afford this life-saving surgery.  What do I mean my life-saving?  Wellll, if you do the math-multiplying the number of animals POPPA has fixed by 7--for average number of babies born in a litter, and then you multiply that number by 7--for each litter those babies would produce as early as four months of age, and then double the total-- because the critters typically have two litters a year (sometimes even three), you'll begin to get the picture, as basically what it all adds up to is that we have prevented hundreds of thousands of unwanted kittens and puppies from having to die simply for lack of a home.  And yet, there ARE baby critters still suffering abuse and neglect all over Oregon simply because irresponsible people have yet to be enlightened about the over-population issue.  So please, help POPPA make animals precious again by spreading the word about our work and making a donation too!

Oops!  I forgot to give you any details about the Cat Trapper Extraordinaire program.  What's going on is POPPA has been contacted for funding assistance by several individuals around the state (Milton-Freewater, Salem, Albany, Roseburg) who are willing and equipped to trap cats--true ferals, those left behind by uncaring former 'owners', and those who have been truly abandoned.  These individuals already know where the growing cat colonies are and want to be pro-active in reducing the pet over-population problem, but lack the money to pay for spay/neuter surgeries.  POPPA wants  to be able to set up partnerships with these cat trappers by establishing in each case an account with a credit balance at a local cooperative veterinary office.   This would make it possible for the trappers to catch up the cats whenever and wherever they can without having to worry about who is going to pay the tab for getting them fixed

The specific objective of this program is to reduce the sheer number of homeless cats.  In doing so we will inadvertently be increasing the 'value' of cats, since they will not be so populous and thereby easy to acquire.  Of course, as a side benefit, we will also be reducing predation on native wildlife and birds, especially in the rural areas of the state.

The duration of this program is indeterminate.  We would like to think we could 'break' the breeding cycle in one year by sterilizing 80% of the cats in each area, but we are realistic about the difficulties to doing so, specifically time and money.  The trappers are willing to put in long hours after work and on weekends catching the cats, but the vets keep regular hours and have other paying customers to attend to.  Also, many of the cats may prove difficult to trap and may wind up breeding before we can get them fixed.  And, there will always be cats irresponsible people buy from pet stores or backyard breeders, fail to get fixed, and then abandon both the original pet and it's offspring when there are suddenly "too many" to feed.  So, the duration of the program is probably contingent more on the physical stamina and mental health of the trappers than anything else.

Soooo, as you can see, POPPA, Inc. is still actively trying to reduce the pet over-population problem in Oregon.  We're still funding spay/neuter through our regular channels--like Animal Aid in the Portland Metro area, who has a $2K monthly budget to distribute.  And, we continue to solicit corporate contributions via employee payroll deduction programs and write grant requests.  Thing is, we are doing all this with fewer volunteers than ever before and need all the help we can get spreading the word about our work in order to keep the donations coming.  PLEASE HELP!