Spay

The Washington County Commissioners agreed Tuesday to continue the Spay and Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP). The commissioners pledged $20,000 toward the program that provides discounts toward the cost of spaying and neutering dogs and cats owned by county residents. The money is for the current fiscal year. The commissioners previously gave $18,000 for the program for the current fiscal year, but that money ran out at the end of September. The program is administered by the Humane Society of Washington County.

Here are some of the calls we have received lately: "I would like to tell Matt Newton what a great job he's been doing in tech school, as well as with his contribution to The Herald-Mail, and just his overall dedication and responsibility. I want to tell him how blessed I am to have him for a son. " - Mom in Hagerstown "Congratulations to the Boonsboro High JV softball team for an undefeated season. Job well done. " - Dargan "I do not understand why the commissioners are giving $300,000 to the North High stadium when, in my opinion, there are more important items needed for higher learning, such as portable classrooms.

WASHINGTON COUNTY tarar@herald-mail.com In an attempt to boost the number of Washington County residents who have their pets spayed or neutered, the Washington County Commissioners on Tuesday agreed to offer higher discounts toward the costs of the surgeries. The discounts, in some cases, will increase by as much as $55. The recommendation was pitched to the commissioners by Humane Society of Washington County Executive Director Paul Miller as an incentive for residents to have their pets spayed or neutered.

In April, Dana Moylan, president of the Humane Society of Washington County, asked the Washington County Commissioners for more money. Not only did the Humane Society seek a $362,000 addition to its current fiscal year budget, but also said that the $769,000 proposed for the next fiscal year was $421,000 short of what was needed to do the job. Moylan said the request was necessary because the county had shortchanged the society by $1 million...

marlob@herald-mail.com WASHINGTON COUNTY - Layoffs, illness and all manner of financial crises can have wide-ranging impact on individuals and families. But there also can be serious side effects for pets whose owners find themselves in a bind. That's where Star Silva comes in. As public assistance coordinator for the Humane Society of Washington County, Silva tries to meet the needs of pet owners who have fallen on hard times. "We have a pet food bank where people can come and get what they need to fill the needs of their pets," Silva said.

To the editor: This letter is long overdue. It is in regard to the Washington County Humane Society and to the individuals that are so misinformed. I am an employee of the humane society and am writing to set the record straight. Three things need to be rectified. 1. We are not a rescue, per say, and we do not have purebred animals that the majority of the public wants to adopt. In a year's time we receive 5,000 animals. Many of these animals are ill, injured, neglected, abused, in trash bags and some are half dead, and even worse than that.

marlob@herald-mail.com People with concerns about how the local humane society does its job filled the seats in the Washington County Commissioners' meeting room Thursday night. The issues ranged from the feasibility of a pit bull ordinance in the City of Hagerstown to the administration of the spay/neuter voucher system to control the pet population in Washington County. Hagerstown City Councilwoman Penny Nigh spoke as a concerned citizen, an animal rescuer and the relative of a child attacked by a pit bull in Hagerstown 10 months ago. Nigh distributed a copy of a letter Washington County Humane Society Director Maria Procopio wrote to Hagerstown City Administrator Bruce Zimmerman Jan. 7 in which she said it would be at least April before she would be ready for a presentation to the city government on the pit bull ordinance issue.

On Friday, the U.S. Postal Service will release the country's first stamps dedicated to raising the awareness of the health, behavioral and societal benefits of spaying and neutering pets. The stamps feature Kirby the puppy and Samantha the kitten. Both pets were adopted from animal shelters and were neutered and spayed, respectively. The Humane Society of Washington County will hold an open house Saturday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. featuring a representative from the Hagerstown Post Office.

The large number of kittens at the Humane Society of Washington County would be less of a problem if more owners spayed or neutered their cats, said Maria Procopio, executive director of the shelter. Owners should have the surgery done before the cats are 5 months old. In 2001, participants in the Washington County Spay and Neuter Assistance Program spayed or neutered 550 cats, Procopio said. The shelter hears a variety of reasons for not spaying or neutering but she does not think any of them are good ones.