| 1 | House Resolution |
| 2 | A resolution designating June 20-25, 2005, as "Humane |
| 3 | Society Appreciation Week" in Florida. |
| 4 |
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| 5 | WHEREAS, in six years, one female dog and her offspring can |
| 6 | produce 67,000 puppies, while a cat and her young may give birth |
| 7 | to 420,000 kittens, and |
| 8 | WHEREAS, in the United States, for every child born, an |
| 9 | average of 15 dogs and 45 cats are born, and each day a |
| 10 | staggering 600,000 puppies and kittens are produced, compared to |
| 11 | the 10,000 births of human babies, and |
| 12 | WHEREAS, conversely, 64 percent of all animals taken into |
| 13 | shelters nationwide are killed for the lack of homes in which |
| 14 | they may be placed, and, during the year 2000, an estimated |
| 15 | 800,000 healthy dogs and cats were euthanized in Florida alone, |
| 16 | for a state average of 2,191 deaths every day, 91 every hour, |
| 17 | and 1.5 every minute, and |
| 18 | WHEREAS, the staffs of the 48 humane societies serving 40 |
| 19 | of Florida's counties are assisted by more than 10,000 |
| 20 | volunteers in attempts to find suitable homes for the hapless |
| 21 | creatures in their care, trying desperately to minimize the |
| 22 | heartbreaking task of euthanizing these healthy, lovable |
| 23 | animals, and |
| 24 | WHEREAS, abandonment and euthanasia are not acceptable |
| 25 | solutions to the undisputed epidemic of animal overpopulation, |
| 26 | and Florida's humane societies have joined the Humane Society of |
| 27 | the United States in its efforts to encourage increased funding |
| 28 | for spay and neuter programs and to make the public aware of the |
| 29 | importance of spaying and neutering pets as a humane method of |
| 30 | controlling the spiraling epidemic of overpopulation, NOW, |
| 31 | THEREFORE, |
| 32 |
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| 33 | Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of |
| 34 | Florida: |
| 35 |
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| 36 | That the House of Representatives commends the staffs and |
| 37 | volunteers of Florida's 48 humane societies for their |
| 38 | compassionate efforts on behalf thousands of helpless creatures |
| 39 | that come under their care and urges the state's residents to |
| 40 | become sensitive to the growing crisis of animal overpopulation |
| 41 | and to embrace the practice of spaying and neutering of pets as |
| 42 | a means of controlling this very real problem. |
| 43 | BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the House of Representatives |
| 44 | designates June 20-25, 2005, as "Humane Society Appreciation |
| 45 | Week" in Florida. |