Ideas for the New Year

We have been tossing around ideas to start in the New Year.  One idea that keeps coming up is Verbal Judo.  We have done a lot of research on bullying and would really like to help our kids be better prepared to deal with the bullies in their lives.  Another concept that we have been building into our classes is fitness.  We have increased our own fitness levels and the fitness levels of our students.  We will continue and increase our fitness goals in the New Year.  Hand in hand with fitness is nutrition.  We have improved our nutrition and now we need to bring awareness of nutrition to our students.  We have monthly lessons that we are working on improving the overall lesson and information to be shared.   The life skill lessons are divided into 12 months.  January's skill is focus, February is discipline, March is respect, April is family, May is academic, June is attitude, July is confidence, August is choices, September is goals, October is fitness, November is teamwork and December is manners.  Each skill is discussed with examples and practice during classes.  Each skill is encouraged to be displayed at our dojang, at home, at school and everywhere that the student goes. We try to relate each skill to home life, school and life beyond the dojang.

Week 11 - Copiah Animal Shelter

 Triple Black Belt Academy spent the month of November collecting donations for the new Copiah Animal Shelter. We have gathered many items from blankets and towels to dog collars. We will take our donations to Cameron's Veterinary Clinic on Hwy 51 in Hazlehurst.   All About Animals Veterinary Clinic in Crystal Springs on the corner of Hwy 51 and Hwy 27 is collecting donations for the Crystal Springs area.    The students and instructors at Triple Black Belt Academy encourage all citizens of Copiah County to remember the animals that are in need of a good home and shelter during the holidays. 

Below are some facts about spaying and neutering taken directly from www.dosomething.org.

1. Between 3 and 4 million adoptable animals are euthanized in animal shelters each year simply because they do not have homes.

2.  Spaying and neutering dramatically reduces the number of stray animals on the streets. Strays can prey on wildlife, cause car accidents and scare people, so the reduction is a plus.

3.  The term “spay” refers to removing a female animal’s ovaries and uterus so that she cannot reproduce. The term "neuter" refers to removing a male animal’s testicles so that he cannot reproduce (although the term neuter technically means the sterilization of either a male or a female animal, today it is typically used to refer to the procedure for a male animal).

4.  Dogs and cats can be spayed or neutered as early as 2 months of age.

5.  Historic records indicate that surgical procedures to sterilize male animals date back as far as 284 B.C.. Such surgeries for companion animals date back about 100 years.

6.  Spay/neuter surgeries will lead to a decrease in the euthanasia rate and increase the live release rate (the number of animals that leave the shelter alive) of animals. Research shows that each canine sterilization reduces shelter intake by .72 dogs, and each feline sterilization reduces shelter intake by .57 cats.

 7.  Spay/neuter surgeries can only be performed by licensed veterinarians.

8.  High Quality High Volume Spay/Neuter (HQHVSN) programs are efficient surgical initiatives that meet or exceed current veterinary medical standards of care in providing accessible, targeted sterilization of large numbers of dogs and cats in order to reduce their overpopulation and subsequent euthanasia.

 9.  There are many health benefits to spaying and neutering your dogs, cats and rabbits! Spaying a female cat or dog helps prevent uterine infections and breast cancer. Neutering your male dog or cat prevents testicular cancer, if done before six months of age.

10.  Spaying or neutering will NOT make your pet fat. Lack of exercise and overfeeding will cause your pet to pack on the extra pounds—not neutering.

11.  Many unneutered pets have aggression problems and often mark their territory with strong-scented urine, which can make the household unbearable. Early neutering can nix aggression.



Source:

ASPCA