For those of you who have noted NPC’s progress over the past year or so, you will realize that we have greatly expanded our spay/neuter opportunities in the five areas we serve: Big Oak Flat, Lake Don Pedro, Coulterville, Groveland, and Greeley Hill. However, now that we have 30 vouchers to distribute each month, it is sometimes the case that not all 30 are actually used! What we need to do, then, is also expand our outreach and educational activities so that more of the population accepts the importance of spaying or neutering their pets and becomes aware of the spay/neuter options NPC offers.

To date, we have participated in such events as the 49er Festival in Groveland and the Coyote Howl in Coulterville, both held in September, where we have manned information booths and distributed literature about spay/neuter and NPC’s services. And, thanks to our spay/neuter coordinator, Kathleen, there have been leafleting and bulletin board notices in the Groveland area. Clearly, we could do much more, and we stand ready to do so once we are able to attract volunteers to reach the other communities we serve. If you are interested, call Carmel at: (209) 878-3134.

In our last article, we reminded all of us to never leave a pet unattended in a vehicle on a hot day. The interior temperature rises rapidly, leading to the agonizing death of a beloved cat, dog or other animal companion. That said, in the year 2014 a total of 31 children died from heatstroke after being left in cars, according to the Department of Meteorology and Climate Science at San Jose State University. So our concern for animals in similar circumstances is not misplaced. Imagine the statistics for dogs and cats!

Helpful advice on which foods are harmful to pets: chocolate, grapes, raisins, macadamia nuts, avocados, onions, garlic, salt, tea leaves, coffee, alcoholic beverages, spoiled foods, and fatty foods. This list is provided by the ASPCA and is obviously not complete. More next time!

Our thanks to the public for supporting NPC and its work, and thanks for tossing your spare change into the jars you see at several stores and other places of business. If you know of a business that would be willing to place a donation jar on their counter, please let us know. Call Carmel at: (209) 878-3134.