Local, non-profit groups that help save animals’ lives and relieve their suffering are in the news.

First, the wild animals. Cindy Kamler’s Eastern Sierra Wildlife Care has scheduled a series of volunteer orientation sessions. The first one was Sunday and the next training session takes place April 7th from 1 to 4pm at Eastern Sierra Wildlife Care. Call 760-872-1487 for more information.

It is spring, and many animals have become more active. Wildlife Care volunteers handle lots of varieties of birds, squirrels, chipmunks and more – both babies and adults who have become injured. They rehab the critters and release them back into the wild. Check out their amazing stories at www.eswildlifecare.org.

On the domestic animal scene, ICARE has published new statistics on the dramatic changes that organization has made in numbers of cats and dogs impounded, euthanized and adopted. In 1996, 1,164 animals were impounded at the Inyo Animal Shelter. In 2012, the number was 468. There were 970 animals euthanized in 1996 and 50 in 2012. In 1996, 82 animals were adopted. Last year, 258 animals found new homes through ICARE.
ICARE’s primary goal is to reduce the number of pets that are euthanized each year at the Animal Shelter. Their strategy is a major spay/neuter program to reduce the numbers of unwanted pets. Since 1998, ICARE has provided low-cost spay/neuter surgeries for 9,800 cats and dogs for a total cost to date of $409,000.

ICARE’s 17th annual dinner fundraiser is scheduled for Saturday, April 13th at 6pm at the Tri-County Fairgrounds. Check out ICARE at www.ICAREforPets.org.