Prevention is the solution. Rescue alone is not enough.

Spay/Neuter Saves Lives Prevention is the solution. Rescue alone is not enough.

Every day, dogs and cats enter rescues like water flowing from a river—constant, unrelenting, never slowing. Without spay and neuter, we aren’t solving the problem. We’re simply trying to plug holes in a dam that is already breaking.

• Rescue groups are full.

• Shelters are overflowing.

• Foster homes are exhausted.

And still, the flow continues—because preventable litters keep being born.

This is what the crisis looks like at CARE STL

On Wednesday, January 7, we officially reopened our dog building and announced that we were back in the business of saving more lives. Almost immediately, the calls began.

In that first stretch of days this week:

• 86 animals arrived in our shelter

• 60 were dogs — including 7 newborn puppies

• By 10:00 PM on Wednesday, we received a call: four dogs were coming in. Two were so severely injured that they had to go straight to the clinic. Our vet staff have to come in, they have completed their lifesaving work at 3 AM. 

• Then, on Thursday, 18 more animals arrived.

• Then Thursday night, our veterinary team had to come back after hours—for the second time—to perform emergency care, including a lifesaving cesarean surgery for a dog who could not give birth on her own. Five puppies were welcomed before midnight.

• But it did not end there. Another call followed at midnight: two adult dogs were involved in a fight in the home, injured and needing immediate evaluation.

• And today, Friday, eight more dogs arrived.

  
  

CARE STL always showed up. Because that’s what CARE STL does. Our team comes back even after hours to perform lifesaving work. That's our values at its core!

And this is why we talk about prevention.

If spay and neuter were accessible and utilized, we wouldn’t be performing emergency cesarean surgeries in the middle of the night.

If people were better supported and well-informed about animal care and behavior, we wouldn’t be responding to preventable injuries, fights, and crises at all hours.

Don’t get us wrong—we love this work. We believe deeply in the lifesaving mission we carry out every single day. But experiencing this level of crisis three days in a row is devastating—for staff, for animals, and for a system already stretched beyond capacity.

And the reality continues.

In just 10 days since reopening, 127 animals have come through our doors. Of those, 22 animals were surrendered—not because they were sick or aggressive, but because:

Families were evicted

Animals were abandoned

Or they were simply no longer wanted

That is the heartbreaking truth of what shelters are facing right now.

And yet—we keep going. What we hold onto are the animals we heal. The animals we reunite with families. The animals we place into loving homes. The lives that get a second chance.

And we are able to do that because of supporters like you, who refuse to look away and continue to stand with us, even when it’s hard. If we truly want to help animals, prevention has to be part of the solution. Rescue alone is not enough. Spaying and neutering save lives. It reduces suffering. It keeps families together. It gives rescues a fighting chance.

Spay. Neuter. Change the outcome.

Thank you for being with us through this journey we call rescue.

We believe in compassion, dignity, and second chances.

But when a crisis hits three days in a row, it’s devastating—emotionally and financially. Emergency care is costly, staffing after hours is exhausting, and the need never slows down.

Your support helps CARE STL keep going—and helps us prevent the next wave.