Statements
Mission
PEOPLE FOR ANIMALS, a volunteer nonprofit, provides financial assistance to qualified applicants for spay and neuter of Middle TN dogs and cats.
Background
All-volunteer People For Animals (PFA) was founded in 1986 out of a realization that we could not "cure" pet overpopulation. Years of "rescue" work had helped us realize that there would never be an end to this tragedy until more of us put our focus on prevention, not cure. And so People For Animals was born. We established one criterion that all efforts should meet. Our programs should always offer maximum benefit to the animals for each dollar and hour spent in implementing them. Spay-neuter fits that requirement well. If we are not effective in our methods of addressing pet overpopulation, many innocent animals will continue to be born with no hope of a lifetime home. Our first goal was the creation of a spay-neuter assistance program (SNAP) which would make lower spay-neuter costs available to pet owners at their veterinarian's office with PFA paying part of the cost. We have since greatly expanded the levels of spay-neuter assistance we can offer. Our second goal was to begin advocacy for our under-funded animal control program. We offered both assessments of need and proposals for solutions including estimated costs and humane and fiscal benefits. Our efforts produced dramatic changes paid for and implemented by Williamson county. Again, maximum benefit to the animals for each PFA dollar and hour spent. This advocacy continues. Naturally education is a part of our efforts as well. We have published a newsletter until this year as we are transitioning to a new, online format once our website is live, maintain a website, and our SNAP screeners provide vital education and encouragement in their phone conversations. Through our legislative efforts we seek to influence the thinking of legislators and be a part of needed changes and additions to animal protection legislation in Tennessee. In this area the initial efforts can be labor intensive, but the benefits of passage live forever and provide benefits to animals throughout the state.
Impact
Through agreements with participating veterinary clinics, our spay-neuter program has:
1. reduced the high birth rate of unwanted dogs and cats;
2. enhanced behavior for each spayed or neutered dog or cat;
3. helped to keep pets in their homes for life and improved chances of placing homeless dogs and cats in loving homes;
4. reduced the number of healthy dogs and cats surrendered to shelters that euthanize for space;
5. prevented thousands of cats and dogs from being abandoned in communities; and
6. spared many animals from serious health risks, including reproductive cancers.
We promote adoption of pets from tax-supported shelters, educate the public about the benefits of spay and neuter (most know only about preventing pregnancy), and support animal-friendly legislation.
In 2022 we financially assisted 4.693 spay/neuter surgeries for pet owners in need in Middle TN. Over 95% of our money spent goes to spay/neuter surgery veterinary bills. We are all volunteers, always have been . Every surgery completed saves many dogs and cats in the future. There is an obvious impact for that one animal and for the people we assist who otherwise could not get their animals fixed. The greatest impact, however, is over time in the improvement of those people's lives from not being burdened by the disease and misery observable in communities without services and in the decreased number of animals born into homelessness and without care. We are a small organization with a long history and from what we are told, a great impact.
Needs
We have recently gone through a restructuring because of a change of focus for one of our donors and the loss of DJ&T. Some things will always be the same: Rather than spending donations on expensive fundraisers, we seek funding from grantors, social media followers, communities where our volunteers live and/or we serve, corporations, private donors, etc. We do not have an office for the same reason. Our volunteers use their own telephones and work from home. Our donations go to the surgeries except for 2%-5% for printing and postage. a telephone voicemail, and website fees, etc. So our needs other than ongoing donations are for volunteers...always.
We continually seek volunteers to support day-to-day operations of PFA. Volunteers are needed to identify additional funding sources (e.g., corporate donations, grantors, private donors,etc.), to manage content on the PFA website and social media. to manage and enter data on our databases, and of course others are needed to talk with pet owners in financial need who are seeking PFA's assistance for spay/neuter. Volunteers are greatly appreciated who can suggest potential board members and help answer queries from veterinarians about the program.
CEO Statement
When one thinks of People For Animals (PFA), the spaying and neutering of companion animals (dogs and cats) should first come to mind. That has always been our primary mission. Throughout our nearly 40-year history, there have been two characteristics that have made PFA unique. First, we have an all-volunteer staff who works from their homes. And second, we insist on prevention-driven strategies. By having NO salaries or building costs, more dollars can go toward direct service. And preventive strategies are always cost effective. Additionally, our spay-neuter assistance is often leveraged by veterinarians and pet owners. With price reductions from many veterinarians and partial payment by all pet owners, PFA's average assist of $40 accomplishes a spay or neuter. For every $1000 donated to PFA, about twenty-eight (25) surgeries can be done. Imagine, for about $40 we are able to improve the quality of life of one animal AND also prevent countless unwanted puppies and kittens from later being born into our already overpopulated world.
Again, that is because we are all-volunteer, have no other high-cost overhead, and because it is true that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." We believe so strongly that when a problem causes the level of needless misery, suffering and death created by unwanted and abandoned animals. it is unconscionable NOT to spend our time and dollars in the most effective ways possible. Through strategies of prevention, there is legitimate hope of correcting the imbalance created by the dramatic difference in birthrate for humans and companion animals. Without more priority given to prevention, there will never be lifetime homes for them all. We are deeply grateful for all support regardless of amount. As you can see, with PFA even a small contribution makes a big difference over time.
Board Chair Statement
Throughout PFA's almost 40-year history, one of the two greatest strengths of our organization has been our commitment to maintaining our focus on preventing the rise in unwanted dogs and cats. While rescue/adoption is emotionally a most rewarding experience, intellectually we can understand that it will never give us a victory in the battle against pet overpopulation. It is mathematically impossible to match the birthrate of dogs and cats with that of humans. So there will never be enough homes for them all until prevention is the focus for most of us.
So we in People For Animals continue to ask the question, "Why is focus on prevention so rare?" Perhaps we know the answer, and it is arguably our greatest challenge. Just as so few organizations choose prevention, also few volunteers and individual donors find it as rewarding as rescue/adoption. Clearly that presents a real challenge for an all-volunteer organization. There are fewer people attracted to our work, and from those who are, we must seek a high level of commitment and responsibility because all activities must be performed by volunteers.
Ironically being all-volunteer is not only a challenge but also the second great strength of PFA. We enjoy the enormous financial benefit of salary dollars that can go instead to spay-neuter. This fits our philosophy of ensuring that each dollar spent creates maximum benefit to the animals. With PFA assisting about $40 per surgery, we prevent litters from that animal and from all that might have been born from those litters. Countless births, and tragically deaths, are prevented at such little financial cost. We believe that the challenges of maintaining our focus on prevention and our all-volunteer status can best be addressed by continuing our education and awareness efforts. For example, we worked with others to successfully pass a Spay-Neuter Resolution in the Tennessee legislature. For the first time, Tennessee has officially expressed the need and value of spay-neuter to our citizens. We will continue our reinforce our efforts through our social media pages, website, contacts, and individual opportunities.
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Animal Related - Animal Protection & Welfare |
| Secondary Category: | - |
| Tertiary Category: | - |
Areas Served
PEOPLE FOR ANIMALS in 2022 had relationships with 34 veterinarians in 15 counties in Middle TN. These 34 veterinarians agreed to accept our certificates for spay/neuter assistance for pet owners in need. Though a pet owner does not have to live in a specific county in Middle TN, they must be able to get to one of our veterinarians.
Funding for PFA support is a never ending challenge. We have customers and we have vets, but without DONATIONS, the three-legged stool can not stand.
| TN |
| TN - Cannon |
| TN - Cheatham |
| TN - Dickson |
| TN - Lewis |
| TN - Lawrence |
| TN - Maury |
| TN - Montgomery |
| TN - Perry |
| TN - Cheatham |
