Wendy Maguire is passionate about animals. Her own dogs and cats are well loved. But animals that are chained up, neglected, abused and homeless break her heart. “I wish I could adopt them all,” said Wendy.
Instead, she’s making a difference by raising funds in a ride for The Georgia Heartland Humane Society Free Spay/Neuter Clinic. She refers to the two women, Jane Reed and Jill Whiskers who started this crusade three months ago as “bonafide heroes.”
“Two cats, that aren’t spayed or neutered will produce over 420,000 kittens. 11,000 animals are euthanized each and every day and over 19,000 animals enter a shelter,” shared Wendy Maguire.
But so much of this is preventable! According to www.pedalforpets.org, it’s only $50 to spay or neuter one cat, and $65 to spay or neuter one dog. And those prices include rabies and distemper shots. “This is a Grass Roots way to solve the problem of over population, one community at a time,” Wendy said.
That’s why Wendy and her teenage son Robbie are putting their “pedals” to good work. They’ll be raising funds for Georgia Heartland’s free spay/neuter clinic while riding bicycles from their restaurant, Maguire’s Family and Friends, in Senoia, Georgia, to Savannah. They leave August 10. A send off party will be held at Maguire’s Tuesday August 9 with specials all day and night.
Wendy estimates this 250 mile trek will take them 4 days and 3 nights. “Robbie and I have logged almost 1,000 miles in four weeks of training.”
Georgia Heartland’s Free spay and neuter clinic includes volunteers going door to door in low income areas in Coweta County. Not only do they spay and neuter pets, they also provide shots, medication, flea and tick treatment, and may even assist with purchasing dog and cat food.
“Anyone can use the clinic services in Coweta, but the free spay/neuter program through Georgia Heartland Humane Society is for those who are underserved in our community. This is what this branch of the group does, and it is absolutely amazing,” said Wendy.
Tax deductible donations to this cause can be made at www.pedalforpets.org.
Wendy Maguire hopes to make this an annual event, and that others will also want to join in on the bike ride in the future.
