This afternoon (Nov. 29, 2009) from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm, Arsega's Coffee Shop on Crossover opened its doors for a Spay Arkansas fundraiser.  Spay Arkansas is seeking donations to furnish a low-cost spay/neuter facility (starionary or mobile) for Northwest Arkansas cats and dogs.

Spay Arkansas is a tax-exempt non-profit that has been in existence for 8 years.  Founder, Marcia Donely, started the organization when she discovered that 2,000 animals a year were being euthanized by the Fayetteville (AR) Animal Shelter.

"People on the lowest 3% of the economic ladder, " says Donely, "are responsible for 70% of the shelter intakes nationally.  This is a social and economic problem that has not yet been addressed.  That segment of the population has to be furnished low-cost or free spay/neuter services for their pets."

Approximately 75 people remained to socialize, drink espresso and listen to the music, while around 200 others left bids at the silent auction.

Learn all the details, and donate if you like, at http://spayarkansas.org/ .

An interesting fact:  In 1993, the New Hampshire legislature passed two state funded spay/neuter assistance programs: one subsidizes animal sterilizaton at shelters, and the other neuters the pets of low-income residents for a $15 co-pay. In the first seven years almost 30,000 surgeries were done and 37,210 fewer dogs entered shelters. At an average impound cost of $105, the state saved $3,907,050. The program spent only $1,236,817 so every $1 spent on spay/neuter in those 7 years saved $3.15 in reduced impound cost.