East Bay SPCA Launches Billboard Campaign to Promote Free Pit Fix Program
Grant From PetSmart Charities® Helps Fund Surgeries
OAKLAND, Calif., Sept. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --The East Bay SPCA has launched a billboard campaign to promote its free Pit Fix program for pit bulls and pit bull mixes in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties.
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Twenty billboards in English and Spanish will run in targeted Oakland neighborhoods for a month beginning the second week of September. A $205,460 grant from PetSmart Charities will help fund the free spay/neuter surgeries for pit bulls and pit bull mixes in key Oakland zip codes where stray and surrendered pit bull numbers are highest: 94601, 94603, 94606, 94607, 94612 and 94621.
In 2011, 19,037 dogs entered shelters in Alameda County. Approximately 4915 or 26 percent were pit bulls/pit bull mixes.
East Bay SPCA Executive Director Allison Lindquist says the goal of the billboard campaign is to grab pit bull owners' attention, let them know there is a free spay/neuter service and get them to take action. "Lots of people who breed their pit bull think they can find homes for the puppies but the reality is many of these puppies end up in shelters. Our message is: spay or neuter your pit. Too many unwanted pit bulls wind up in shelters and there just isn't enough room."
While Chihuahuas slightly outnumber pit bulls as the number one breed of dogs surrendered to Bay Area shelters, Lindquist says they're smaller and easier to adopt out. "Pit bulls take much longer to get adopted due to their larger size and ongoing stigma against the breed."
The East Bay SPCA operates two high-volume Spay/Neuter Centers that offer affordable, high-quality spay/neuter services for dogs and cats. In 2011, the centers spayed/neutered nearly 10,000 dogs and cats. Of that number, nearly 800 were free spay/neuter surgeries under the organization's free Pit Fix program. With an infusion of cash from PetSmart Charities, EBSPCA hopes to double the number of pit bulls it spays or neuters in 2013. For more information about the Pit Fix program call, 1-877-4-PIT-FIX.
About East Bay SPCA
The East Bay SPCA (EBSPCA) is a nonprofit organization committed to the welfare of cats and dogs in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. We strive to eliminate animal cruelty, neglect and overpopulation by providing programs and education that support people and companion animals. More information about EBSPCA can be found at www.eastbayspca.org or by calling 510.569.0702.
About PetSmart Charities®
Established in 1994, PetSmart Charities, Inc. is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that creates and supports programs that save the lives of homeless pets, raise awareness of companion animal welfare issues and promote healthy relationships between people and pets. The largest funder of animal-welfare efforts in North America, PetSmart Charities has provided more than $165 million in grants and programs benefiting animal-welfare organizations and has helped save the lives of more than 5 million pets through its in-store adoption program. To learn more about how PetSmart Charities is working toward its vision of a lifelong, loving home for every pet, visit petsmartcharities.org or call 1-800-423-PETS (7387).
SOURCE East Bay SPCA
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