H ello Everyone…

Pet Friends has been around for almost 19 years. The founders, supporters and volunteers have been working hard to get homes for companion animals and to make a dent in the number of unwanted animals roaming the streets. They started out as a foster network, holding adoption fairs and collecting donations for animal care and spay / neuter programs. Many animals found homes...nothing changed…there were still more homeless animals.

Buildings were built to house more animals and to have a place where people could come to see the adoptable animals. More donations were collected for animal care and spay / neuter programs. Many more animals found homes...nothing changed...there were still more homeless animals.

Other groups sprang up in town working with feral colonies and the unwanted animals surrendered to the animal shelter. Still more animals found homes...nothing changed...there were still more homeless animals.

Hollister has grown in population, so has the unwanted animal population. People forget that if you let Fluffy out before a spay/neuter operation, you will end up with a lot more Fluffies. It doesn't take long, Don't think that just because you let Fluffy out for 5 minutes to stretch her legs and use the outside litter box, nothing will happen. If Fluffy meets Tom, they could be the start of a family tree of 420,000 cats in only 7 years. And Rover could start a family tree of 67,000 in only 6 years. Is there any wonder why nothing has changed and…there were still more homeless animals?

Now Pet Friends is starting a new era. We have fulfilled the founders dreams and opened the HAYS - STRATTON SPAY AND NEUTER CLINIC, a low cost solution. Everybody knows one was needed in the Hollister area.

We now have several rescue groups in the area trying to find permanent homes for those homeless animals. The animals offered by these groups are already spayed/neutered with age appropriate vaccinations.

Now, it's up to you to make things change. Don't let Fluffy or Rover out unless they are spayed or neutered. If somehow that did happen, and you end up with a litter of critters that you don’t want, face the fact that it is your responsibility to take them to the shelter. Just dumping them in the country isn't being responsible. In open areas like the Pet Friend location, that box of kittens you didn't want to take to the shelter because they may be euthanized, will turn out to be coyote food.

If you are one of the responsible pet owners, and you have already spayed/neutered your pets, would it would be possible for you to help us with a donation to the HAYS - STRATTON SPAY AND NEUTER CLINIC? If you could, we would be extremely grateful. We made it simple, you can now use Paypal, just click on the "SPAY / NEUTER CLINIC" heart.

We are looking forward to see a 20th anniversary for Pet Friends in a community where things have changed and there are...no more homeless animals.