We love kittens, but they must be stopped.

We really do love kittens (honest!), but that's not stopping us from helping Anderson Voices for Animals prevent "kitten season" from plaguing our local shelters each spring.

Kitten season is a major issue. Between May and June of last year, the Anderson County Humane Society (ACHS) saw their kitten intake numbers increase by about 45%, compared to the previous fall. Many of these animals are euthanized due to lack of space.

We donated media relations, website and financial support to Anderson Voices for Animals' Bone-e-fit fundraising event to help them raise $10,000 for local spay and neuter programs that keep animal populations down. These dollars go to:

Anderson Voices for Animals' community trap bank, which lends humane traps to people who feed and care for feral and stray cats so they can have them fixed and vaccinated.
Anderson County's Fix-A-Pet Fund, to help low-income families get their pets fixed at the ACHS Low Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic at a reduced cost.

These groups are making a difference. Almost 20,000 pets have been spayed or neutered in Anderson County since the first Bone-e-fit in 2011, helping to reduce shelter intake rates by 41% since their peak in 2008-2009.

If we're successful, the phrase "kitten season" will no longer strike fear in the animal rescue community. After all, you can always scratch your kitten fix on YouTube (video credit: AnimalTube).