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group of Concordia 4Hers from Vidalia Upper Elementary learned a valuable multiplication lesson Monday afternoon. But is wasn’t strictly a math problem.

With the help of four soft and cuddly puppies, the 4H members learned about the overpopulation of dogs and cats in the United States and how they can be a part of the solution to this ever-growing problem.

&uot;For every 10,000 people that are born in the U.S. each day, 70,000 puppies and kittens are born,&uot; Lisa Smith, director of the Concordia Welfare Shelter said to the group of fifth graders Monday.

&uot;There will never be enough homes for all those animals,&uot; Smith said.

As the students passed the four dogs from one set of arms to the other, the reality of the situation slowly set. Without enough homes, most of the pets would eventually end up either wandering the streets or in animal welfare shelters.

And for those in animal shelters, many face early deaths in the form of animal control.

&uot;For every one dog we adopt at C.A.W.S., we have 15 others brought to the shelter,&uot; Smith said after the meeting Monday. &uot;That is why it is so important to teach students the importance of spaying and neutering their pets.&uot;

For 4H member Zachary Burley and Devin Barnes, the message came loud and clear.

&uot;I knew most everything except I didn’t know there wasn’t going to be enough homes for the dogs,&uot; Burley said as Hershey, a beagle-mix puppy teethed on his fingers Monday.

&uot;We need to do what we can to stop it,&uot; Barnes said in response.

Smith hopes that many of the 4Hers will consider how they can help not only with pet overpopulation, but also how they can volunteer their time with the animals.

&uot;This summer we are looking for some help cleaning, grooming, walking and training the dogs,&uot; Smith said.

It is Smith’s hope that many of the club members will volunteer their time and learn a little about the shelter.

&uot;If you can catch the students now, it will make a difference later.&uot; Smith said.