ANIMAL ACTIVISTS - YOU CAN HELP

This post is written to ask you to help make the government include Veterinarians in the Federal Government Student Loan forgiveness and cancellation program .

We all know the problem is overpopulation and rising vet costs. We have said, "spay and neuter for years" but the fact is, it only takes a few who can't or won't to cause the cages to overflow. We need to attack the roots of the problem and this is the first step.

We must include Veterinarians in the Student Loan forgiveness and cancellation program. We need their time and skill to reduce the animal overpopulation problem. We have a severe cat/dog overpopulation problem in this country but Vets with $140,000.00 in student loans cannot work for non-profits spaying and neutering.

There is also a need for services to the poor and to families of military people in Iraq and Afghanistan, who have sick and dying pets. A Veterinarian could give medical services for free and charge only for costs to reduce the bill if such aid resulted in student loan forgiveness.

In addition, there is a need for Vets to assist FEMA in disaster relief operations. We have the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act but we do not have the vets to staff it. Veterinarians would volunteer for 2/3 months if student loan debt reduction were part of their compensation. My vet went to Louisiana when the levee broke during Katrina but could not stay long because of student loan repayments.

I want to have this request sent to the director of Homeland Security. I believe Homeland Security and FEMA and the Dept of Ed could be very popular if they would admit veterinarians to the loan discharge program for monthly services to the poor and temporary services for disaster relief.

I specifically want 4 days a month service to non-profit shelters or 501(c)3s to spay and neuter the animals of poor people to excuse the Veterinarian's monthly student loan payment. Ditto for disaster relief efforts. Every four days service should cancel a month's payment.

I want help to accomplish this goal of making the debt cancellation program available to Veterinarians. I think the only limitation should be that they have to have two years experience in practice before they are eligible to enter this program. We need experienced Veterinarians to help in emergencies and with the poor in bare bone spay and neuter clinics.

We really should start a petition because of course, it will take all of us to make this happen in every county of every state. We do not want a program which sends the vets to Alaska or remote villages. We want MANY vets in every county of EVERY state, volunteering 4 days a month to spay and neuter for free. Yes, we may have to ask owners to give us clinic space or we may have to buy vans or the humane societies may have to set up small operating rooms but that will develop.

Right now you have to help me get our representatives interested. We do need a petition. Untill we can arrange that, I am asking you to write the house of representatives Animal Welfare Caucus .

Ask them to consider writing legislation to cancel the monthly loan payment upon certification from a non profit that the vet has given them four days A MONTH ( 30 hours) to spay and neuter for poor people with animals. You will of course copy your letter to you own federal representatives and senators.

Please help with this. We can do this and it will benefit animals significantly.