Every year in this country, millions of unwanted dogs and cats, including puppies and kittens, are needlessly destroyed, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) reports.

The good news, they say, is that every pet owner can make a difference, and all of it starts in local communities.

By having your dog or cat surgically sterilized, the AVMA recommends, you can do your part to prevent the birth of unwanted puppies and kittens and will enhance your pet's health and quality of life.

And in Grayson County, the local Humane Society is working hard to do something about the problem.

On Wednesday (Feb. 15) Steve Lookabaugh and Betty Lane, volunteers at the Grayson County Humane Society, presented Dr. William H. Payne, DVM, of the Leitchfield Veterinary Clinic with a $500 check for Spay Day USA 2006 -- scheduled for February 28.

Payne will match the $500 donated by the Humane Society with his services to spay or neuter 25 pets free of charge for Grayson County pet owners whose income is limited and need assistance to spay or neuter their pet.

(However, owners must pay for any required shots.)

According to the Doris Day Animal Foundation (DDAF) website, since its inception in 1995, Spay Day USA, the Doris Day Animal Foundation's national campaign to save the lives of homeless animals through the spaying or neutering of pets and feral cats, has resulted in just over 1.2 million cats, dogs and other animals being spayed or neutered, “saving millions of animal lives and taxpayer dollars.”

The DDAF calls spaying and neutering pets “an act of love,” not only for the pets, but also for our communities and millions of helpless, homeless animals “who need our help.”

Lookabaugh said Wednesday morning that in January and February, at least 60 puppies and cats have already been brought to the Humane Society.

The DDAF reported that in 2005 Spay Day USA participants spayed or neutered an estimated 124,000 cats, dogs and other animals nationwide.

In Kentucky, the number of animals spayed or neutered in the 2005 Spay Day was 1,982.

Formerly the Doris Day Pet Foundation, the DDAF is a national, nonprofit, organization founded in 1997 by legendary performer Doris Day.

The DDAF is dedicated to the proposition that they can create caring communities by acknowledging the significant interrelationship between animal welfare and human development.

They work to accomplish their mission through programs designed to mobilize individuals and community agencies to prevent violence against animals and humans, and to offer practical tools and resources to promote empathy and compassion in America's schools, streets, and homes.

For additional information, Grayson County residents are urged to call the GC Humane Society at (270) 230-8839.