Huffington Magazine Issue 2 | Page 101

Exit Good’s foundation also helps facilitate the adoption process for abandoned animals. Often times, he says, when owners neglect to spay or neuter their pets, they end up with a litter of puppies or kittens that they can’t care for. Without services like his, many would end up on the streets and could eventually be euthanized. Unfortunately, the Atlanta area’s large animal population makes it difficult for shelters to house all the strays, so many get put down. That’s why Good started the “Underhound Railroad,” another service that helps move stray animals from overpopulated shelters to areas around the country that have fewer strays. “There are shelters in other parts of the country that are really good, but they don’t have big populations of animals around them,” he says. “For $50, I can take a dog that would have been euthanized around here and put it in a facility where it will get adopted. That’s worth it.” Good estimates that, through both of his non-profit endeavors and his veterinary clinic, he assists 7,000 to 10,000 stray animals each year. None of this would be possible, he says, without the GREATEST PERSON OF THE WEEK HUFFINGTON 06.24.12 thousands of clubs throughout the country that sponsor his animals and help spread the word to get them adopted. But Good doesn’t just see these clubs as helpers — he says they are keys to fixing a problem that sees thousands of stray animals euthanized each year. “We try to give these people a sense of what the world’s about For $50, I can take a dog that would have been euthanized around here and put it in a facility where it will get adopted. That’s worth it.” and why they should respect it,” he says. “We don’t want them to be a club that just rescues animals, we also want them to be developing quality citizens.” Whether it’s a local Girl Scout troop or a group of business executives, when one of these clubs sponsors an animal, they’re encouraged to visit them at the shelter. According to Good, that’s the key to finding them a new home. “I tried to create a relationship