Voting is in the air this season. With competitive races in both parties, Americans have had an unusually long primary season, and it's still not over yet on the Democratic side. Voters in Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, and Vermont take their turn at the polls next Tuesday.
There are no state primaries this week, but there is a particularly special event to focus attention on—and it allows you to cast your vote, no matter where you live. Today is the 14th annual Spay Day USA, a national event that seeks to end the tragedy of too many pets and not enough homes. Thousands of kittens and puppies are born every hour in the United States, and millions are euthanized in animal shelters or die on the streets each year. Spaying or neutering our pets and feral cats is the most effective way to ensure their offspring won’t be born only to die prematurely and without a family who loves them.
At Spay Day events around the country, local groups and veterinarians will host various activities for the public to engage in, including free and low-cost spay and neuter services for those in need of financial assistance. You can participate by finding an event near you. You can also enter the Spay Day USA pet photo contest, by uploading a digital photo of your pet and briefly describing how he or she has improved your life. Compete for prizes—and spread the message of spaying and neutering—by forwarding your pet’s photo to friends and family and asking them to vote. (The contest ends on March 7.)
You can vote in the contest by browsing the thousands of pet photos, or searching by pet’s name, owner’s last name, city, state, or country. For example, you could search for “Markarian,” and then vote for the four best-looking felines in the contest—Georgia, Mario, Misty, and Oliver. It’s just a modest suggestion, of course. As Al Capone said in Chicago, “Vote early and vote often!”
