By Rick Abercrombie
Since 1999, Pawmetto Lifeline has worked tirelessly to “address the companion pet overpopulation issue in South Carolina.” Jack Sloan, the Pawmetto Director of Development, recently visited the Optimist Club of St. Andrews-Irmo to describe the mission and daily workings of the organization.
The long view of its mission is to limit or eliminate the need for euthanasia when stretch efforts might save an animal’s life and to plant it in a loving home.
Sloan presented this statistical reality: In the U.S., 10,000 humans are born every year while 70,000 puppies and kittens are born every day. Even given a mortality rate of 50 precent of those animals, 12.5 million survive.
Isolating on dog breeds, pit bulls and mixed breeds with pit bulls in the process, have a particularly difficult time being adopted. They represent a paradox of being both stigmatized by illegal dog fighting activity and oftentimes being one of the most affectionate, laid-back breeds in existence. Their appearance actually works against them.
Of the 8,000-plus dogs and cats that entered Midlands shelters, roughly 2,500 – mostly pitbulls –were euthanized. A “prolific” unspayed or unneutered dog can ultimately be responsible, over six years, for having produced 67,000 offspring.
Cats are an exponentially greater problem. Same lack of spaying or neutering, same start with one cat, and same six-year time span? Almost identical birth rate. However, if one extends that rate of reproduction to eight years, that output would exceed two million. It is logical that concerning cats, many of those are born into a feral life. Feral adult cats are often difficult to tame down to acceptable domestic behavior, so when trapped, they are spayed or neutered and then returned to their feral lives – but this time not as “reproducers.”
Be they dogs or cats, the key is to limit litters, as Sloan expressed it. Pawmetto performs an average of 70 spays/neuters per day. Through traditional outright adoptions and fostering assistance, Pawmetto offers a long list of available services that confront the aforementioned statistics. It offers a full array of in-house medical care.
Vaccinations are an area of particular emphasis. Pawmetto offers walk-in vaccinations during listed days and hours, but it also performs mobile vaccinations via its “Care-a-Vans.” In addition to routine vaccinations, a Care-a-Van is equipped to do microchipping, heartworm testing, and flea, tick, and heartworm preventative. In 2025, for example, Care-a-Van services examined and treated almost 38,000 pets.
Although Pawmetto does have salaried staff, it also relies heavily on the time donations of more than 1,000 volunteers.
Pictured are Optimist Club President David Kafitz, Jack Sloan, and speaker sponsor Kerry Powers who presented the speaker with a copy of the Optimist Creed.
