HUMANE AMERICA ANIMAL FOUNDATION

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01'l09/2001 10:19 3104061�, ' :HUMANE AMERICA PAGE 11 3) Implerr Ming the action plan. 1, <?uantiAiag the Firoblem_ The first step is to understand in, detail the problem's scope and causes. Humane America begins by conducting extensive research to determine relevant information for the target community Including: • A detailed analysis of the current status of the companion animal overpopulation problem including euthanasia rates. • Demographic infoamtion about the community and surrounding areas. • The number of male/female altered/unaltered dogs and cats owned in the community, • The number of these animals that are purebred. • Where the animals were obtained from and their ages. • The reasons the animals are unaltered. • How many pet owners would alter their nimals if it were Free and convenient. ip Whether animals are allowed to roam_ • The number of animals that have given birth in the last year, • Whether these animals were purebred and if the pregnancies were planned. The number of puppies born, and what was done with them,. • Information about the public's feeding, care, and observed birth rates of feral cats. • The number of people that would trap and alter feral cats they are feeding if provided with training, equipment and if the surgery was free. • The number of people that would consider adopting a dog or cat in the next year, and if not, why not. • Demographic information of pet owners including age, marital status, household information, children., ethnicity and income. • Challenges of reaching target communities including gcQgraphy, attic dive ity, etc. • Existing resources within the community including major animal w6fare agencies, cooperative veterinarians and related rommunity infrastructure for delivery of spay/neuter, adoption and educational services. Humane America has developed a. mathematical model that, when combined with our research data, can predict the effects of Increasing spays, neuters and adoptions for both dogs and cats in the target community. The model can also predict the effects of changes in pet retention rates. This allows us to setspecific tar et numbers of sterilizations, adoptions, and changes in the pet retention rate necessary to lower euthan.asias of healthy companion animals in the community to zero. 2. Creatin a Detailed Action Plan to Best Solve the Problem Once the research is completed, Humane America examines community resources and idexitifies the most likely strategy for achieving target levels of inercased sterilizatiom, adoptions, and pct retention. This strategy will vary from coax mupity to community but will always involve the following framework-- a framework associated with successful marketing and sales of products but applied to the overpopulation of companion animals in order to save thousands of lives.