DIXFIELD — The River Valley Animal Advocates will be hosting their fourth annual yard sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Aug. 16, 17 and 18 to help raise money for local animals to be spayed and neutered.
Becky McDonald, the president of the River Valley Animal Advocates, said that the yard sale is one of two major sales that the group holds throughout the year; the other is a plant sale held during the spring.
“We first discussed the idea of a yard sale to raise money for cats to be spayed and neutered in 2009,” McDonald said. “Last year, we helped more than 400 cats get spayed and neutered. If we didn’t do that, that’s more than 5,000 cats in a year that would’ve been born. We’re just trying to lower the cat population in the area, because it’s very high.
“We’re doing the yard sale for three days this year, which gives people more of a chance to shop,” McDonald continued. “We tried to get funds from Rumford this year for our group, but of course, with all of the budget woes, we didn’t expect to get any money from that.”
The yard sale receives many of its items from private donations, as well as the Victorian Villa.
“The Villa has always given us the leftovers from their yard sales,” McDonald said. “We will basically accept anything for our yard sale, and if there’s something you want to get rid of but can’t bring it, we can pick it up for you.”
One of the primary methods that the River Valley Animal Advocate uses with stray cats is the “trap, neuter and return” method, McDonald said, where they take any stray cats that have not been spayed or neutered and bring them to a Norway veterinarian.
“Dr. McClane, who runs Kind Animal Care in Norway, always helps us out with any spaying or neutering that we have to do,” McDonald said. “The prices that we have are quite economical. We also have a loan program for elderly people who wish to have their cats spayed or neutered but can’t afford it.”
The yard sale will take place on the corner of North and Weld streets.
For more information, call McDonald at 597-2323 or Valerie at 364-3796.
mdaigle@sunjournal.com
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