MILLEDGEVILLE — It’s August. I don’t know where the time has gone. It’s still summer and there’s lots to do for the animals.

We are still having some financial difficulties, but money is coming in. Thank you to everyone who has donated to ARF. Our fundraisers are doing well. The t-shirts are selling quickly. The 2011 calendar will be available sometime this fall. We will be helping celebrate Tucan Tans’ eighth anniversary at their party Thursday, Sept. 2. Lots of things will be going on that day and it’ll be a fun event. We hope to be at Deep Roots Festival in October. Then, it’s on to the holidays and even more fundraising.

The animals ... well, we have cats who have been with us for a year. We have kittens that are growing up at ARF. We have adult dogs who sit there waiting for someone to look at them. Last week, we had one kitten and two of our long-term’ers adopted — a dog and a cat.

But three animals adopted in one week isn’t enough. So we will be having an adoption event and hope we can find good homes for our wonderful, healthy animals.

Beginning Monday, Aug. 16, we will have adoption fee incentives for most of our animals. All cats and dogs 6 months and older will have an adoption fee of $50, and under 6 months of age, the adoption fee will be $75. For the dogs who have been treated for heartworms, the additional $100 will still apply.

As I’ve said in previous columns, there are so many free animals out there that we cannot compete. However, you do have to look at what is the better deal. Our cats and dogs have been spayed and neutered as required by state law for all shelters, foster groups, animal control and breed rescue groups. That in itself should be incentive for adopting from ARF. But, on top of that, the rabies vaccination is included in the adoption fee.

We test cats for feline leukemia and begin — and many times complete — the kitten series of vaccinations. They are exercised and socialized with other cats and with humans.

For dogs over 6 months of age, we test for heartworms. And, as with cats, we begin, and many times complete, the series of puppy vaccinations. When a puppy is 5 months of age we start them on heartworm prevention. The older dogs we start on heartworm prevention after testing.

So, after serious thought, we have decided to reduce the adoption fee to give people more incentive to adopt an animal from ARF. This will be for a limited time only. We have to reduce our population of cats and dogs at ARF.

If this does not work, we will then transport the animals to another shelter. I really don’t want to do this. Why? Because I consider it a failure. It’s a failure because we made the decision years ago to do everything we possibly could to have our cats and dogs as healthy, happy and as socialized as we could get them. We believe that the quality of care we provide should speak for itself and that we shouldn’t have to beg or guilt anyone into adopting one of our beautiful animals.

We need to find homes for these animals because there are a huge number of animals still being euthanized in Baldwin County. The reason is there is no room anywhere to house these animals.

OK, I’m getting on my soapbox — but really, after 27 years of doing this, I just can’t see that the animal overpopulation problem is any better than it was in 1983. This year seems to be even worse than the past few years.

One of my friends commented on Facebook about the number of animals that are being euthanized. Almost everyone sympathized with her. They didn’t understand why people don’t spay and neuter. You can’t compare the cost of this surgery with the number of animals dying. There is no comparison — the surgery is essential. It truly is a matter of life and death for all the litters that happen because the cat or dog isn’t spayed or neutered.

What is the answer?  Is there an answer? No matter how much or little the surgery costs, there are people who will refuse to spay and neuter their animals. I wish there was a magic answer. But until the time when there is a magic answer, hundreds of innocent animals will be euthanized right here in Baldwin County. It is not the fault of the person who has to euthanize, it’s not the fault of the shelter — whether it’s a humane society or animal control. The saddest part of this is the puppy or kitten is the one who suffers. They are born into this world and will never know a loving lap.

The bottom line, yet again, is spay and neuter your pets. Adopt from a shelter that spays and neuters their cats and dogs before adoption. Adopt from ARF. Our animals are great and have such personality.