Pet enthusiasts, animal welfare advocates and veterinarians will gather Friday and Saturday, Dec. 3 and 4, at the University of California, Davis, to discuss issues surrounding pet overpopulation. The two-day symposium, to be held in MU II of the Memorial Union, will focus on research, funding, and regulatory and legislative issues related to the problem of pet overpopulation. Although the symposium will feature speakers from throughout the nation, the meeting will focus on issues as they relate to California. "With anywhere from 5 million to 15 million unwanted cats and dogs being euthanized each year in the United States, it is imperative that we join forces to better understand the causes of pet overpopulation," said Lynette Hart, director of the UC Davis Center for Animals in Society. "We hope the collaborative efforts of animal health care professionals, shelter directors and pet industry representatives will produce a broad information base, as well as creative solutions for this tragic problem." Symposium discussion topics will include: • the need for more demographic research into the source of cats and dogs that end up at animal shelters; • the issue of spaying or neutering animals when they are just a few weeks old, rather than waiting until they are approximately six months old as is the common practice; • proposed legislation requiring all outdoor cats to be spayed or neutered; • and possible methods for funding animal shelter services. The symposium will be divided into three sessions dealing with regulatory and legislative efforts, research projects and approaches, and funding sources. During each session, a panel of speakers will present brief talks, then respond to questions from symposium participants. After each discussion session, participants will be divided into small work groups to address the specific topic in greater detail and to develop possible actions. The suggestions developed in those work groups will be reported Saturday, Dec. 4, at 11:45 a.m., followed by closing remarks from Dr. John Hamil of the California Veterinary Medical Association. The symposium is cosponsored by the California Veterinary Medical Association, UC Davis and the California Council of Companion Animal Advocates. The UC Davis Center for Animals in Society is a non-profit program initiated by the School of Veterinary Medicine to examine the interactions between humans and animals through public service, scholarly study and specialized learning opportunities for students.