The Farmhouse in Landrum is again holding its Farmhouse bow-making classes as a fundraiser for the spay/neuter programs at Foothills Humane Society. The classes, complete with wine and dessert, will be held on three Wednesday evenings, December 1, 8 and 15 at 6:30 p.m. The Farmhouse suggests that you reserve your spot at the clinic early as last years classes sold out. To reserve a place, call the Farmhouse at 864-457-3557.

A donation of $35 will pay to neuter one dog. Spayed and neutered animals live longer, healthier lives. They wander less, fight less, and bite less, according to Foothills adoption coordinator Angie Yates. They are more trainable and obedient and dont spray their territory and have unpleasant heat periods. They just make better citizens and pets. And they still are good mousers and hunters.

Unaltered animals are responsible for the exploding animal overpopulation. In the U.S., seven puppies and kittens are born for every human being. American shelters kill approximately 4 to 5 million of the unwanted animals each year at a cost to the taxpayer of over $2,000,000,000 (yes, two billion dollars) each year.

All animals placed by Foothills are altered. Foothills also provides financial assistance for those owners who need financial help in altering their pet, and a trap/neuter/return program for free roaming community cats.&bsp; Together, more than 2,100 animals are fixed each year through Foothills.

Since an adult female cat or dog can produce 20 offspring each year, prevented births over the lifetime of these animals would be in the thousands. Adding births by their female offspring as well, the numbers multiply exponentially, resulting in a tragic situation.

Barks & Bows organizer Noreen Cothran is a long time proponent of spay/neuter programs, and also organizes the annual Blue Ridge Hunter Jumper Associations Annual Spay/Neuter Dinner benefiting spay/neuter efforts in Polk and Rutherford counties. Her mother, Pat Lehner, was a longtime member of the Foothills Humane Society board of directors in the 1980s, and ran an annual benefit horseshow at the Flying Dutchman Farm to raise money for the animals.

My sister and I used to come in from out of state to help our Mom, recalls Cothran. We started at 3 a.m. to cook turkeys and make sandwiches to sell for lunches. What wonderful memories I have of that time together.