Transcripts
Welcome to Animal Posse, the podcast dedicated to the
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:people and rescues making a
difference in the lives of animals.
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:Today we are joined with Rachel
from the Jefferson, SPCA.
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:And I'm glad to have you here.
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:I wanted to have you on the show 'cause
I specifically wanted to discuss spay
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:and neuter and the Jefferson SPCA does
have some really good programs for that.
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:And also because you have had
some concerns about the overall
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:state of animal welfare in
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:Rachel: the community.
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:. Definitely.
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:I can say when I first started
volunteering for Jefferson Parish
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:Animal Shelter 13 years ago now,
so February of:
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:thinking, like I became a volunteer.
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:I became addicted.
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:I was going every single day to
photograph the adoptable animals.
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:And it became like a passion.
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:Fast forward a couple years, and
then I get married and I remember
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:writing in my vows for my husband
that I wanted a French bulldog.
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:If a rescue french bulldog came in
it'd be so rare, but I wanted it.
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:Now I don't like the breed at all now that
I've really gotten to know them, but they
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:come in four or five a week, if not more.
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:Dixie: Oh, really?
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:I didn't know it was that many
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:. Rachel: Yeah.
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:I never thought that would be a problem.
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:I thought that I don't know, it was
just the things that I thought would
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:never be a problem are a problem.
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:Golden doodles.
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:People always wanted a goldendoodle.
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:They're in the shelter now, but
even rescues don't want 'em.
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:So the things that I thought
wouldn't be a problem in:
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:2015, that's when I got married.
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:They now are,
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:We're getting worse.
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:Dixie: Same thing with Persian cats.
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:Rachel: Yes.
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:Dixie: Bengals.
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:What is your role at the
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:Jefferson SPCA?
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:Rachel: So I'm the program's director.
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:I was originally hired five
years ago for the spay and neuter
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:program and the rabies part of it.
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:In Jefferson Parish you
pay a rabies license.
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:So when you bring your pet
to get vaccinated at the
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:vet, you pay a license fee.
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:That license fee comes to us.
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:It's voted on in the ordinances
and it's split half for spay
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:neuter, half goes to the shelter.
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:So that's how we have the
spay neuter, program.
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:And people from like other
states, Michigan contact me and
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:email me like, how do we do this?
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:So we always share our information
'cause we want other people to do it.
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:And then a couple years ago,
maybe two years ago, I took on
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:being the accountant as well.
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:I love doing that because it's
actually a task I can start and finish.
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:So mentally it helps me feel like I
do some kind of like completion of
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:something because I don't know that
spay neuter will ever not be needed.
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:Not that I don't want it to not be
needed, but it's just, it's so hard
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:to convince people if it now having
like people to support you with laws.
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:It's just, it's so hard.
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:I also handle adoptions.
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:I do it all fundraising, I do everything.
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:I love it.
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:But some days are really hard.
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:Dixie: That's how it
is in rescue for sure.
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:What is the mission of the Jefferson SPCA?
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:Rachel: Our mission, even though it's
not up to date is the spay neuter.
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:Definitely.
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:Our mission is actually something
that our board president came up with
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:on a whim maybe 15, 20 years ago.
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:And he's I just wanna
help pets be in homes.
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:But it's more than that.
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:For me, I think the front runner,
and we have to talk about it, is
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:that it needs to be spay neuter.
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:It needs to be reducing the pet population
in our or homeless pet population in
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:Jefferson Parish through spay neuter.
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:Dixie: Now, can you give us a
sense of the scale of animal
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:overpopulation in Jefferson Parish?
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:Rachel: I don't know specific
numbers we're partners with J Paws
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:in the shelter, but I don't have
the specific numbers from them.
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:Like sometimes I ask for the data but
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:I can't think, like back in the day,
I know there was probably 12,000
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:animals entering the shelter each year.
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:Whenever I first started volunteering
and the number has come down, I
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:think it's only, 4000-5000 animals
that come in the shelter each year.
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:But I think that reason, it's
also skewed because of rescue.
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:So that's part of it.
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:So I think, like whenever I first
started volunteering, you're thinking
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:like 10 to 12,000 animals that
come in the shelter every year.
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:That's so crazy.
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:And now you see four to 5,000 and
you're like, okay, then we're improving.
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:But that's not counting you, that's
not counting Joan with spay mart.
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:That's not counting Amy of a tail in need.
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:That's not counting us.
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:So we are interfering that
they're not going into the shelter
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:because we're stepping in and
they're going into rescue first.
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:And so that's why part of me thinks,
I can't say officially, I don't know
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:that maybe parish officials think that
we don't need the laws that we do.
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:Because the numbers aren't that
bad at the shelter anymore.
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:But all the rescues are interfering.
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:So
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:like we are helping the
load by having a rescue.
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:So we're helping.
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:The parish talks y ou're not
spending as much in the parish money,
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:which I mean it's more expensive.
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:So like we're still spending lots
of money on the the five or 6,000
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:animals that go in every year.
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:But I don't think the parish really
realizes how many numbers like that, the
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:true numbers are of the homeless pets that
keep going because of rescues, interfering
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:so they don't end up at the shelter.
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:Dixie: Yeah.
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:'cause
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:All the rescues are full.
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:Rachel: Yeah.
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:Joan, and like with Spay Mart, I
mean they were doing an average
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:of 700 kittens a year, right?
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:Yeah.
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:I think a
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:tail in need
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:broke 500 last year.
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:I think we did maybe 210.
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:So that's like a thousand.
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:But there's other people like
the, whenever they try to do
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:surrender prevention so people
don't bring 'em to the shelter.
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:So other rescues breed
specific rescues help too.
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:So those are out there.
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:I guess shelter animals count, if you were
reporting that, but I wish there was a way
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:that rescues, you tell your numbers, you
say out there, you put 'em on public, on
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:social media and your emails and stuff.
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:What you did.
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:But that number is not going into
account with the parish to say,
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:Hey, this many homeless animals
are still a problem in our parish.
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:Dixie: Yeah.
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:That
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:makes sense
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:You also do cat trapping for the TNR.
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:Yes.
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:So how many cats are you
seeing being trapped a week?
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:Rachel: Not as many as I'd like.
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:When I first started in 2020 my
board member she wanted me to
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:learn like our vice president was
like, I want you to understand,
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:like trapping, just so you know.
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:And I was like, okay,
like I'll go with you.
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:So I learned maybe like a month
or two after I started and then.
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:That was right when the pandemic
happened, everything got shut down.
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:All these events I had scheduled to
talk about spay neuter couldn't happen.
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:'cause I couldn't go to the events.
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:So I started trapping myself and I trapped
with the help my friends Lisa and Sue,
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:I trapped maybe 650 cats in six months.
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:And it's just crazy.
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:So I know like in the program, like
every week maybe a hundred cats or
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:so come through, like as I process
that on the accounting side are
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:coming, but I wish there was more.
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:Like I can help people get more
appointments and we can do the
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:mass appointments and spay
Mart does sometimes I'll
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:do the clinics on Saturdays.
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:Like we can find the appointments.
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:It's just not enough people trapping.
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:Dixie: Yeah.
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:I find a lot of people they'll
ask for help and they're not
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:willing to do anything at all.
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:Rachel: Oh, that's my favorite.
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:Dixie: Not even watching the trap.
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:'cause I've had that
situation where I'm close by.
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:I'll come get the cat.
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:Just keep an eye on the trap.
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:Just call me when the
cat goes in the trap.
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:And they're not even willing to do that.
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:Rachel: Yeah.
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:Like I made a Google form.
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:I don't advertise as much as I used to
where you could fill out the information,
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:you could put like your address,
how many cats if you're the feeder.
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:And then one of the questions was
like, if we come out there and set
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:the trap, can you at least watch it?
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:And then it was like, yes or no, I'm not
able to, I'm disabled or no, I'm scared.
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:Or something like that.
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:And majority of the time everyone put No
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:Dixie: really?
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:crazy.
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:Rachel: It blows my mind because
like I, when I started, first started
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:learning, like Lisa, my friend, she
used to feed a colony of Ron Williams.
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:And it was so funny to watch her
feed that colony because whenever new
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:kid shows up, she put trapped down.
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:She'd put the food in it and then
she'd tell all the other cats they
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:would go near and she's get away.
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:Don't do it.
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:And then they would listen to her
'cause they were like, her cats, they
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:were used to her, Hey, this is mom.
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:She says, no, get away from it.
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:And the new kid's oh hey, what's this?
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:And goes right in the trap immediately.
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:And it's so much easier
for the feeder to trap 'em.
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:And they always think that it's
no, they'll never forgive me.
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:And they'll be mad at me and I hurt 'em.
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:And it's not even, it's
not that big of a deal.
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:Like I'm telling you, cats are forgiving.
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:Most animals, you have to think about
the abuse that they've been through.
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:And like all the animals that we've
rescued, the dogs like that we've
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:rescued, I mean like the beagles
definitely they've all been abused.
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:They are so loving and forgiving,
and I think most animals are.
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:And if you trap 'em after their
hormones settled and everything gets
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:better and they're not so anxious,
they're gonna come back around, give
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:them like a couple days at the most.
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:And like one feeder, I've
had the hardest time.
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:I love her.
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:I've helped her so many times, but I'm
like, you go there every single day,
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:you're in better physical shape than I am.
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:You need to be trapping your cats.
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:So now she'll do it.
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:She'll be like one a week, but
it makes a huge difference if she
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:gets that one before it's pregnant.
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:You're saving five to 10 lives,
maybe hundreds if you count
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:the ones that it would have.
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:Dixie: How many pregnant
cats were spayed last week?
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:Rachel: I don't even know.
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:Pretty much everyone.
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:So whenever I processed the vouchers
to do payments, like pretty much
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:every female last week out of, 50 to
75 were either in heat or pregnant.
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:So the one colony I was talking
about that's when I was trapping
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:in 2020 and it was a colony.
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:Behind Labarre Road, in
that industrial area.
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:And I went to trap for a nice couple
and we trapped 15 cats and they were
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:letting 'em live like in this warehouse.
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:They were totally fine with 'em.
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:They were coyotes, so they were
okay with the cats being there.
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:They wanted to keep 'em in this
fenced in area, but they just grew,
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:the colony grew so fast and they
were just like, I can't believe it.
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:And then the wife said, like,
whenever you trap 'em, if they're
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:pregnant, please don't tell me.
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:So I was like, okay.
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:So I trapped the 15 cats.
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:We went to that vet, 10 of them are
male, five are female, and every
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:single female was pregnant with five.
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:Dixie: Yeah that's what I was gonna say.
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:At least four or five.
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:That's the average.
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:Rachel: And whenever I released
them back, the husband said,
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:don't tell her, but tell me.
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:And I said, yeah, you
would've had 25 more cats.
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:Yep.
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:So eventually he did tell her, and
like she came in and she cried.
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:She was devastated, but she
understood because we are so broke.
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:Doing all the things to feed 'em.
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:You can't touch 'em all, so then you
can't put flea prevention on 'em.
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:So then you need to put flea treatment
in your yard, but you gotta do
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:something that's safe or keep 'em
out the yard for, a couple hours
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:while the flea prevention dries.
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:Or if you're spraying something for
your yard, it just becomes out of hand.
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:Dixie: Yeah, definitely.
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:Rachel: And they're capable.
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:That's the thing that bothers me.
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:And the excuses of people not
wanting to trap is oh, I'm in my
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:sixties, or I'm in my fifties.
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:I'm like, do you know the majority of my
volunteer trappers are in their seventies?
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:And Karen Lemoine she's a beast and she
traps with a drop trap every single time.
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:Like I use a drop trap for injured cats.
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:I rarely bring it out to
like trap, just regular cats.
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:She'll pull it out and just go drop
it out at someone's house, set it up,
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:feed 'em under there for a week, and
then get all six of 'em in one second,
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:and then just pull the drop trap.
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:And then she's oh yeah, just
transfer me to individual cages.
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:I can't imagine the circus of five or
six cats under a big drop trap, like
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:flying around, flopping everywhere.
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:And like Karen in her seventies,
got her own health issues
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:working like two and three jobs.
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:Also a pet sitter out here doing the
Lord's work, so , the excuses drive me
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:crazy because you've lived there, like you
said, even if you just set the trap and
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:if I can just put it on your porch, you
could watch a video on YouTube easily.
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:I could swing back by and pick
it up whenever you trap it.
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:I don't mind transporting.
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:That's not the problem, but I
can't sit there and watch it.
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:And you live there.
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:You go there every day.
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:If it's a place somewhere else.
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:It just doesn't make any sense
to me why people don't trap.
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:Dixie: Yeah.
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:And even with dealing with the
trap, it's so easy to just, it's.
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:It's a no brainer.
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:You just learn one time how to
set the trap and then that's it.
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:Rachel: I've done it where
I've trapped on the sidewalk.
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:I'll have a trap in my back of my
car and I'm like, oh, there's a cat.
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:Oh, it looks pregnant.
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:And then I'm like let me put this
together real quick, and I'll
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:pull over and put it out on the
sidewalk 'cause it's a fair game.
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:Trap me a cat and then roll away in 10
minutes and hey, it's just, so easy.
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:The hardest part to me is cleaning
the trap after and sanitizing it.
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:That is the hardest part to me.
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:Trapping a cat, bringing it to the
vet, cover all that stuff, everything.
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:Piece of cake.
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:Cleaning the trap afterwards,
sanitizing it, getting all the
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:tape and the newspaper off.
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:That's the hardest part of trapping.
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:Dixie: What are some of the
misconceptions that people might
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:have about the behavioral changes
with spaying and neutering animals?
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:Rachel: A lot of people like, they
use the excuse, they'll get fat and
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:lazy, you can't use that excuse.
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:You're still overfeeding them.
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:So yes, like the hormone and, levels of
change and stuff like that, and, they
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:will gain weight, but you can adjust the
food and overall that saves you money.
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:Less food, in the long run.
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:I'm trying to think of some of the
excuses that people have told us.
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:Some people just say they don't believe
in it for religious reasons, but there's
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:just, there's too many winning things
to not do it, like the behavior changes.
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:It just doesn't make any sense to me
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:Dixie: I know that you do have some
of these rabies shot drives, I guess
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:that's what you call 'em, where you
will offer spay and neuter to people.
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:Rachel: Yeah.
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:Dixie: What is some of the feedback
that you hear about that, of why
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:they don't wanna get it done?
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:Rachel: A lot of them are the
typical men that are just like,
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:I'm not doing that to my dog.
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:I can't do it.
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:No.
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:I would never.
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:But then there's even this
one husband was like, I want
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:to do it and my wife will not.
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:That is her baby.
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:She loves that dog more than me.
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:And then she'll say I want grand puppies.
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:I'm like, it's not the same.
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:It's so infuriating because if they're
coming to a rabies drive, for the
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:most part, they need that low cost.
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:They can't afford it.
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:So it's already like a financial
strain and that's why they're going
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:to the rabies drive for some of 'em.
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:Or they're like me and they have 15
dogs and you gotta save where you can.
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:But they already need things to
be low cost and it's like already
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:frustrating that it's like a lot
of the things that you see skin
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:conditions one of my dachshunds,
I got Chloe, she was like bald.
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:We were doing all the shampoos,
the antibiotics, everything.
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:Spayed, skin is beautiful, like
gorgeous, no more hair issues.
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:It was all hormonal,
dermatitis, like issues.
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:So some of the people that come
with these animals, they're
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:like, oh, he's got all these skin
issues and oh, this has happened.
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:If you fixed them, the skin issues
would probably resolve some,
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:So like a lot of the things that
they can't afford or or she's in heat
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:and this is infected, or just the
different things that come up with.
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:And if you spayed them in the long
run, they'd be overall healthy
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:and it'd be less money for you,
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:Be less veterinary expenses.
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:Dixie: Yeah, definitely.
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:I hear a lot of people too, like
you said with the grand puppies,
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:that people wanna experience the
birth of either kittens or puppies.
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:They can foster.
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:Yeah.
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:There's no, no reason to have 'em when
there's all these rescue groups that need
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:fosters.
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:Rachel: I mean it's super frustrating.
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:I overheard a thing yesterday and just
being where I am, like where our office
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:we're located inside Jefferson Feed.
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:There was a person in there yesterday
wanting to check the status of his dog.
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:It was already artificially inseminated
with a breed of another dog.
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:So they're making a mutt.
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:Dixie: Okay,
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:that's a good one.
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:Rachel: And
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:it was 70 days, 'cause gestation
periods is about 60, 62, and they were
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:at 70 days and nothing had happened.
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:They didn't want to do X-rays
because they didn't want the
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:radiation to hurt the puppies, but.
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:What's so frustrating is one of the
breeds that was in that dog, there's
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:probably seven of 'em, that one of
our board members, one of our board
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:members helps us with the rescue
dogs, is trying to move up north to
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:Kaleidoscope canines, Siberian Huskies.
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:They become like the new
pit bull in the shelter.
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:And I'm just like, you're breeding more
mutts of this breed that we already have.
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:The Huskies, there's so many of 'em in
the shelter that are on at risk of being
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:euthanized and you're creating five and
six more because it's cute and we wanna
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:have puppies and we wanna have babies.
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:And I'm like, what about the ones
that you wanna go hold the veins
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:of the ones at the shelter that are
probably end up being euthanized?
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:If you really want grand
puppies just rescue some.
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:It's the same thing,
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:Dixie: yep, exactly.
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:. Rachel: It's like you pick all your
friends to be like your family.
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:Having all those puppies and dogs,
the ones that are already homeless,
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:already born, already needing love,
those can be your grand puppies.
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:Dixie: Exactly.
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:You said something about all
the Huskies getting surrendered.
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:So I know people do surrender
for some strange reasons.
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:Sometimes
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:Rachel: it's not even that they're
surrendering 'em, I guess they would.
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:The thing that we're facing
right now in Jefferson Parish.
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:We only have the West Bank shelter.
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:They are in the process
of building the East Bank.
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:They have the plans working.
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:I have seen them on the desk.
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:So I know it's coming, but a lot of
people, they won't drive to the West Bank
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:and they're just letting 'em go stray.
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:And then it falls on us.
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:So like you and I are driving by and oh,
there's a dog and we want to go pick it
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:up or save it or scan it for microchip.
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:Of course it's intact has no
microchip, no one's looking for it.
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:Dixie: Exactly.
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:Now what are some of the common
situations where the Jefferson SPCA would
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:step into actually rescue an animal?
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:Rachel: I try not to, if that makes sense.
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:Dixie: Okay.
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:Rachel: I rather.
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:Keep an animal in a home
if the person wants it.
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:And I could offer them care.
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:If they can't financially afford it.
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:Like my ultimate goal is like if we
have the money, the donations to afford
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:it, I'd rather keep it in the home.
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:And then let me offer to help you fix it.
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:I can offer, if it has a skin
condition certain shampoos and there
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:are things that we can do to save
money to help you keep that pet.
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:I usually try not to get involved.
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:Sometimes like we have where somebody's
emailed and they're desperate
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:and they can't get an appointment
at the shelter to surrender.
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:'cause the appointments owner
surrenders are now scheduled for
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:Jefferson Parish animal shelter.
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:And so they're scheduled three and
four months out and some people
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:can't wait and they're desperate.
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:And so we'll say Hey, can you send us
a full bio, full pictures, vet records?
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:Like you have to send us
everything to prove that like you
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:legitimately cannot keep the animal
and you really need our help.
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:Not just, oh, I'm moving.
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:Oh, I can't get anymore.
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:You shouldn't have got it in the first
place, and we always wanna take any
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:of our animals that we've adopted
out, we'll always wanna take 'em back.
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:Dixie: Yeah.
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:'cause I do see that seems to be a new
trend now, where people have the means to
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:take care of an animal, but it's like they
just wanna get out of the responsibility
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:of taking care of an animal.
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:So they think that's what rescues are for.
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:Rachel: Yeah.
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:Oh, I wanna donate my animal to you.
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:That happens all the time.
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:Every week they wanna
donate their rabbits to us.
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:It's Easter, I'm gonna
donate my rabbits to you.
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:Absolutely not.
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:You're not doing me any favors,
you're not donating anything to me.
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:Like never ever.
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:When you're bringing an animal to any
animal rescue, shelter organization,
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:you're not helping them by any means.
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:I don't think there's any organization
period across the entire country
438
:that if you ever gave them an
animal that you thought you were
439
:donating, you were helping them.
440
:You're not helping anyone.
441
:I go to bed every night.
442
:Dreaming.
443
:Of a shortage of animals.
444
:I just think that would
be the coolest thing ever.
445
:Dixie: So how do you address that
when somebody wants to donate
446
:their rabbit, cat or dog to you?
447
:Rachel: Unfortunately, if we
don't have the space sometimes,
448
:I can post it on our pet finder to
help you, do a courtesy posting.
449
:I know I offer the
re-homing groups to them.
450
:I try to, ask 'em why
they're surrendering it.
451
:Sometimes we'll take the Guinea pigs and
the rabbits if we have the space, just
452
:because we know they're so delicate and
we don't want 'em get in the wrong hands.
453
:We're scared that people would
feed small animals to like, snakes
454
:or dogs or anything like that.
455
:So sometimes small animals we will
take, because we do have the room.
456
:Dogs, it's occasionally cats.
457
:It's just, it's on a case by case basis.
458
:If we have the means, like we had no
senior cats and so somebody wanted
459
:to surrender their senior cats.
460
:So like we took it because.
461
:We had so many seniors wanting
cats and I was like, I'm not
462
:gonna adopt a kitten to a senior.
463
:I can't do it.
464
:So I had no seniors.
465
:So it's just on a case by case basis.
466
:If we can help, if we have the
means, if I think that I can find
467
:that animal home, then I'll do it.
468
:Spay neuter is supposed to be
where I'm supposed to stay.
469
:Even though like I want to rescue because
the same thing about the whole completion.
470
:Like I can get an animal into
rescue, I can get it healthy
471
:and I can find it a home.
472
:It's like a sense of satisfaction
that I completed a task.
473
:And spay neuter.
474
:I can't like always 'cause of the
people that have to fight with a grand
475
:puppies and all the other excuses.
476
:Dixie: Can you do a quick overview
of all of the spay neuter programs
477
:that the Jefferson SPCA offers?
478
:Rachel: Yes.
479
:So we have the Fix a Fee line program and
the vets that are on that program, they.
480
:Some do owned cats and feral cats.
481
:Some of the vets on our program
only do feral cats which we're
482
:grateful for all of our vets.
483
:We know that some of 'em our vets are
corporations and so they can only
484
:have a certain amount and some vets
can't take the hit on the commission.
485
:So I totally get it.
486
:Most of our vets are locally owned, but
sometimes some of the corporate ones will
487
:take the hit if they'll do it for Ferals
and it'll be the vet that truly cares
488
:and says, Hey I won't take the commission
because I wanna help the community.
489
:So that's pretty awesome.
490
:So it's fix a feline and that's
for owned cats and feral cats.
491
:And then the Fix a canine program.
492
:I'm trying to expand and get more vets
on the program because they're booked
493
:out like at least two to three months.
494
:And I know that's, hard.
495
:We just added another small vet to our
program and I told her, the way I got her
496
:to be agree to be in the program, it's
like she was scared to do large dogs.
497
:And I said, you can agree to be on the
program and just do dogs under 40 pounds.
498
:I don't want to make a vet do
something they don't wanna do
499
:or don't feel comfortable doing.
500
:So that's the fix A canine program.
501
:We have it it's like by weight category,
but if the vet's not comfortable
502
:with it, like big dogs put next
to their listing on the website.
503
:Dogs under 40 pounds only.
504
:So that's fix a canine oh the fix
a feline, it's a copay of $15.
505
:If it's an owned cat,
you get no vaccinations.
506
:That's a cat brought in,
a carrier, a feral cat.
507
:There's no copay.
508
:Must be in a trap.
509
:Must be covered.
510
:It's in the ordinance.
511
:You gotta cover your cat's
people and that is free.
512
:And we vaccin 'em with FVRCP
and rabies . Owned cats get no
513
:vaccines feral Cats get both.
514
:Fix a canine, the copay is $60.
515
:But right now I'm covering
their copay for pit bulls.
516
:German Shepherds and Siberian
Huskies, because those two are now
517
:becoming so common in the shelter.
518
:They're becoming like the
pit bulls of the shelter.
519
:And then we also have another
program, which there are not many
520
:vets that are on that program.
521
:We don't it's not one that we advertise,
I guess it's called the Fixed Me, and
522
:that is a vet that wants to participate
in some form of the program, but
523
:they can't give like the discount
as much as like the other vets can.
524
:So it's where we both agree
on a same amount discount.
525
:So if they will discount,
$50, then we'll give them $50.
526
:So then the pet owner only gets a
hundred dollars off, essentially.
527
:So it's like a discount.
528
:Chateau Veterinary Hospital is on
that program and Metiaire Small
529
:Animal Hospital is on that program.
530
:So that's a way that they can
offer their clients a discount for
531
:spay neuter, but not have to take
the hit if they can't afford it.
532
:I don't blame 'em.
533
:'cause like when you have to be really
good at spay neuter and it's surgery.
534
:I know that some people are scared of it.
535
:Like Dr.
536
:Ridel with furry friends, she's
probably of the 130,000 cats we
537
:fixed in the program, probably
like 15 or 20,000 of them.
538
:Dr.
539
:Ridel is done by herself.
540
:Dixie: Wow.
541
:Rachel: She's a beast.
542
:Dixie: Yeah.
543
:That's crazy.
544
:Just to think of that number.
545
:Rachel: Yeah.
546
:And the program's only been
around since June of:
547
:Dixie: and just
548
:How many cats would that have been?
549
:Yeah.
550
:If they weren't spayed or neutered.
551
:Just thinking about it, that's
552
:just like crazy.
553
:Rachel: I'm trying to think, I'm trying
to think of the numbers on the board.
554
:'cause I just updated them the other day.
555
:We're at close to 125,000 maybe
total since the program started.
556
:But like 30,000 of that is.
557
:Dogs and 70, 80,000 or whatever
cats, but like 15,000 of 'em.
558
:I wouldn't doubt it if it was Dr.
559
:Ridel.
560
:Dixie: Wow.
561
:Rachel: And then South Shore's a big
powerhouse, but they they have five vets.
562
:And whenever I look at the
whole month total, half of
563
:it would be like South Shore.
564
:'cause they did that many,
565
:Yeah.
566
:So they have to be, you have to
be good at surgery and get it.
567
:So dr.
568
:Wisdom's fast obviously, because she
was at the shelter for so many years.
569
:Dixie: Yeah.
570
:And I know when they do a neuter too, they
can just do that in like a few minutes.
571
:Rachel: Yeah.
572
:A cat neuter
573
:is about seven to eight
minutes . If you're good at it.
574
:I want more vets to be in
the program, but I want to do
575
:what they're comfortable with.
576
:But then I applaud the vets that like,
I know that work for corporate and they
577
:have these, quotas they have to meet
and they're willing to take the hit.
578
:Whenever I signed up, vetco
total care on veterans.
579
:And they said this is
the lowest they could go.
580
:And I was like, I can't
pay more than this.
581
:This is what the contract is.
582
:It's the number we have set.
583
:I can't change it.
584
:And she went back to her vets
and they were like, let's do it.
585
:So I just thought it was just so
empowering to be like, Hey, we just
586
:wanna help people spay and neuter
their pets, because some really
587
:understand how important it is.
588
:So I was like, they're
not gonna be on it.
589
:And then she called me and
she's no, they don't care.
590
:They'll take the hit.
591
:And I was like, what?
592
:That's amazing.
593
:Yeah, it just made me really happy.
594
:You really care,
595
:I get it.
596
:Like I a lot of people argue about how
much vet care is and how they don't
597
:agree with it and how expensive it is.
598
:But at the same time, like I can
speak from personal experience.
599
:My friend just finished vet school
not that long ago, and I wanna
600
:say her student loan debt is,
like 25 or 27,000 in tuition.
601
:Four years of that.
602
:So it's like a little
over a hundred thousand.
603
:Dixie: Yeah.
604
:Rachel: And then my husband just
finished medical school and he paid
605
:it was like 32,000 or so per year.
606
:So it's like 120,000.
607
:So it's only like a 10 or
$15,000 difference between
608
:vet school and med school.
609
:Vets will never make what
medicals like doctors do, and
610
:they have the same amount of debt.
611
:So just think about it.
612
:I know that the suicide rate is very high.
613
:In doctors too.
614
:It's very high in vets, but they still
have the same amount of debt, they'll
615
:never make the same amount of money.
616
:They'll be struggling to pay that
student loan debt off to be your doctor.
617
:Dixie: Yeah.
618
:I remember when I was a teenager, the
vet that we used to go to, he actually
619
:told us, 'cause I was interested in
going to vet school and he told me,
620
:look, if you wanna go to vet school,
just don't go in it for the money.
621
:Cause there's no money in it.
622
:Rachel: Yep.
623
:That, and that's what everybody says.
624
:Shelter medicine, they are paying pretty
high for shelter veterinary medicine.
625
:But then you don't get to
use all of your skills.
626
:So that's like the downside of it.
627
:But it's just some people wanna do it,
but then if you lose your skills my
628
:husband said he'd never wanna be a vet.
629
:Think about all the different
anatomies you have to learn.
630
:You're not just like when you're
a doctor, human doctor, you're
631
:just learning the human body.
632
:Yeah.
633
:But when you're a vet, you're
having to learn so many different
634
:bodies and all I just can't imagine.
635
:So it's gotta be so much harder.
636
:But people get so mad at vets
and they're like, you don't wanna
637
:help, or you don't want to do that.
638
:It's not that they don't wanna help.
639
:Like their livelihood depends on it too.
640
:Like they have to get paid.
641
:Dixie: Absolutely.
642
:Rachel: They go through so much
sadness, just like all of us in
643
:rescue and like they need to get paid.
644
:They need, to have that
quality of life as well.
645
:So I protect my vets.
646
:I don't like when people are mean to them.
647
:I'm like a mama bear to my vets.
648
:I hate that whenever somebody trapping or
a cat or something will come and they'll
649
:post something on one of our community
group pages and say something very awful
650
:and mama Bear Rachel will come out.
651
:Don't talk about our vets
652
:Dixie: It is a very stressful thing.
653
:And I can only imagine, 'cause
they're having to, euthanize animals
654
:that are coming in that are sick.
655
:Need it.
656
:But that's still gotta take a toll on you.
657
:Rachel: Yeah.
658
:I don't wanna say that it
does get easier because I know
659
:some people it's a hard time.
660
:I do love to fospice.
661
:That's my favorite thing.
662
:I love old dogs.
663
:Give me old dachshunds, geriatric
problems all day, every day.
664
:I love having 15 dogs.
665
:Is it exhausting?
666
:Yes.
667
:But I love it.
668
:But whenever they pass away,
like I don't usually cry anymore.
669
:And I feel like my husband had to build
me a shelf and I have more passed away
670
:deceased pets than I do alive now.
671
:The only one I really lost it and
cried so hard, but most recently
672
:was I had to do one for behavioral
reasons and he was barely like, two
673
:And that one, like Dr.
674
:Wisdom was like, are you okay?
675
:You never cry.
676
:It just sucked.
677
:'cause he was so young.
678
:Like he would bite me in his
sleep and drew blood and then
679
:like you could put him in a
680
:crate
681
:and then he would scream
bloody murder all night.
682
:Then he attacked one of my dogs
in the middle of the night.
683
:'cause I have a doggy door.
684
:'cause old dogs, no offense,
you gotta go when you gotta go.
685
:So I have a doggy door and he
attacked one of my dogs overnight.
686
:So that wasn't good.
687
:And then he tried to bite my husband
in the face and that was it because
688
:he bite my husband in the face.
689
:He can't read x-rays
and he can't have a job.
690
:Dixie: Yeah.
691
:My aunt actually adopted a dog.
692
:And it was like that the
dog ended up having a tumor.
693
:And it was the tumor that
was causing her aggression.
694
:And there was nothing that could be done.
695
:Rachel: Yeah, that makes sense.
696
:I've had to do one of those too.
697
:But he had nothing.
698
:We checked all those things and
thankfully my vet agreed with it
699
:and so I was like, that's it.
700
:I can't, like I tried, like he
went to two different homes.
701
:He bit a coworker.
702
:It sounded like I didn't
703
:try and I couldn't pass
it off on someone else
704
:So like that one sucked
and I did cry a lot.
705
:He like, he was so smart and
trained, like maybe he could have
706
:been like someone's drug dog or
something like a police officer.
707
:'cause he loved to work,
but it was just difficult.
708
:But, it was strange.
709
:And he was a small dog dachsund mix.
710
:Somebody, something made on the West Bank,
he came from the L-A-S-P-C-A actually.
711
:That's the thing that bothers me the
most is like the different designer dogs
712
:they're trying to make and then they're
becoming like all the behavioral problems.
713
:Dixie: Oh yeah.
714
:Definitely.
715
:Same thing like with
the poor Persian cats.
716
:With the eye issues and the
nasal issues that they have.
717
:And same thing with some of
the little like what is it?
718
:The Boston Terriers,
719
:Rachel: if you're getting down
too far in the line and breeding
720
:things that you shouldn't be, or,
they don't care or what's the skin
721
:thing that you get demodex whatever?
722
:Uhhuh.
723
:So if they have it, they're like,
don't ever breed that dog again.
724
:And people still do it.
725
:It doesn't make sense.
726
:Like the facts don't matter.
727
:Like they don't care.
728
:I don't want dis breeders or
say that I don't like them.
729
:'cause I do know a very
responsible breeder.
730
:That breeds dachshunds.
731
:Like she's obsessed with them,
but they're all in her house.
732
:This is her master bedroom and right next
to her master bedroom is the puppy room.
733
:And they really are like her babies.
734
:But you can't adopt from her
unless you have like another one.
735
:'cause she doesn't want
single dog syndrome.
736
:You're not allowed to breed they have to
be spayed, neutered within so many months.
737
:She has very strict rules.
738
:She doesn't want you to get one
start your own train of breeding.
739
:She's no.
740
:Don't do something if you're not
gonna do the research behind it.
741
:But she's also still in rescue, so she
still takes old geriatric dachshunds,
742
:just like I do so I don't love it.
743
:But I wish more breeders were
like her, like she will always
744
:make sure hers are okay.
745
:She will always take them back.
746
:Like, why can't we have stricter
laws that say if you're breeding,
747
:you have to microchip it.
748
:If it ends up at the shelter, it's yours.
749
:It comes back to you like, I
love that we have the Breeders'
750
:Permit Law in Jefferson Parish.
751
:Only one permit's ever been sold.
752
:Dixie: Really?
753
:Rachel: One.
754
:Dixie: I
755
:did not know that.
756
:Wow.
757
:Rachel: One,
758
:Dixie: wow.
759
:Rachel: That is it.
760
:So if you know anyone in
Jefferson Parish that is breeding
761
:animals, I can tell you 99.9%
762
:chance they are not doing it legally.
763
:Dixie: Wow.
764
:That blows my mind.
765
:Yeah, I did not know that.
766
:Rachel: Yeah.
767
:So that's, like you're allowed, I think
one accidental litter, but if you just
768
:don't know about what happens, which is
crazy to think I don't know, four month
769
:old cats at four months can get pregnant.
770
:Mothers and sons will mate.
771
:That's all the questions that
people are like, that can't happen.
772
:They're mother and son,
or they're so young.
773
:No.
774
:That, just doesn't matter.
775
:But in Jefferson Parish, I just,
I wish there could be stricter.
776
:Because it shouldn't fall
on us to only clean it up.
777
:It's, it's our parish money that's taking
care of the shelter, but why do we
778
:have to clean up everyone else's mess?
779
:Dixie: And I think that is what
I'm hearing consistently across
780
:the board with everybody that I've
talked to that's involved in rescue.
781
:They say the same thing.
782
:There needs to be some kind of laws that
help with the overpopulation problem.
783
:Rachel: Yeah.
784
:Even if they have the laws, like they
need help enforcing 'em, like I know
785
:we have like humane officers, but
if we had a whole JPSO, like humane
786
:division, I would throw a party.
787
:I don't know, , I'd probably
be like Betty White, just happy
788
:endlessly, I just seen all the
suffering and like seeing this stuff.
789
:Jeff Dorson sees it all
over the whole state.
790
:He posts those pictures of different
things and like those rural parishes
791
:like crushes me to think that like anyone
would ever think that the conditions that
792
:they have that animal in are acceptable.
793
:But even people that are in
our own backyard are doing it.
794
:Like I know one of the dogs I have,
whenever it came into the shelter
795
:in 2021 he was horrible shape.
796
:He's like a cocker spaniel mix.
797
:Never want to get one of those again.
798
:The ears are the worst
things in the world.
799
:. But he came from a over hoarding breeding
case of 67 dogs and it was in Kenner.
800
:Dixie: Really?
801
:Rachel: Kenner.
802
:67 dogs in one house.
803
:Dixie: All right, Animal Posse.
804
:That's it for this segment, but the
chat with Rachel keeps going, so stay
805
:tuned for part two in our next episode.
806
:And that's all the time we
have for today's episode.
807
:If you are in animal rescue, or if
you know someone that has a story that
808
:should be told, please contact us.
809
:We would love to have
you or them on the show
810
:. Thanks for listening, and please
join us next week as we continue to
811
:explore the world of animal rescue.
