I'm happy to report that White County, Tennessee, where I reside, which long had a history of animal cruelty and abuse similar to what you describe in SW Virginia, also has had some outstanding animal activists, who have made real strides in our county.

First, they convinced the county of the dire need for an animal shelter, which, while it currently accepts only dogs, is a big step in the right direction.

Secondly, our sheriff is himself an animal lover, takes animal abuse seriously, and has sharply curtailed some of the more common abuses that were rampant, but are no longer, though improvements are still badly needed.

Finally, our local White County Humane Society, which started off as animal activists doing much as you have been doing, have been able to hand off the investigative side of their work to our capable sheriff's department, allowing them to concentrate on the spay and neuter side of the equation.

Obviously most of their efforts are still taken up with educating people of the need to neuter, but strides are being made, and they have attracted enough notice to have gotten a grant for the past several years to help pay the surgical costs.

I wish the same for@tarc.

They just helped me to defray the cost for spaying Truffle, as several years ago they helped us to neuter our lovely Miod boy, as they were both strays we took in.

For pet cats there is an income requirement, but as Monica told me, because we took in a stray, we automatically qualified, though I did give them an additional donation. And, thanks to another donor, all their donations are being triple-matched through the end if the year.

So people are starting to get a clue, more and more animal lovers are becoming aware, and your novel is coming out in the perfect timing to strike when the iron is hot, so to speak.

I for one will do what I can to get the word out. ;-)

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