The clinic, which evolved out of the Peninsula Spay/Neuter Project, is supported in part by grants and donations, and in part by fees. It charges $35 to neuter a male cat and $45 to spay a female. Prices for dogs range from $55 to $85, depending on sex and weight – except for pit bulls, which get a discount. There are special programs and lower rates for pit bull-type dogs. For information, call 253-627-7729 or go to www.coalitionhumane.org.
So far, veterinarian Keiko Young, veterinary technician Jayme Bennett, veterinary assistants Liz Tolbert and Sandy Peterson, and clinic coordinator Sheri Kennedy are spaying or neutering 21 animals a day.
They want to get that number up to 40, said Patty Rusnak, vice president of the nonprofit clinic....
But by state law, Coalition Humane and clinics like it can serve only pets of low-income people. In Pierce County, the income cap is $37,050 for a household of one, $42,350 for a couple, $47,650 for three and $52,950 for four.
Given the municipal cost of animal control (not to mention the cost to private individuals involved in rescue) a reduction in the cost of spay/neuter is vital, nationally--not just in spay/neuter clinics, but in veterinary clinics themselves. While it's certainly logical to say that "People who make over $XYZ a year should be able to afford spay/neuter if they choose to own a pet" the fact is, the impact of that unfixed pet if the family puts off spay/neuter (and the pups or kittens end up in a shelter) far outweighs the public cost of low-cost spay/neuter.
Also, if pet owners have a positive experience with affordable spay/neuter(whether at the vet or a clinic) they are less likely to shy away from visiting a veterinarian when their pet is ill. I have heard any number of people say "If it's $250 to fix my cat, what will it cost if she's sick?"
I was very pleased to read this in the article:
(The income cap evaporates for feral cats. Any caring soul can trap a cat, bring it to the clinic and, for $40, have it spayed or neutered, vaccinated, treated for ear mites and kept for three days of recovery.)
1 comment:
The late Diane Jones fought long and hard here in Orange County, Florida to make life better for cats (in particular) and dogs. She convinced our Board of County Commissioners to open a low cost spay/neuter clinic at our Animal Services shelter. It opened in 1989 (despite protestations from the local veterinary community). It's open to every Orange County resident, and the prices haven't changed since it opened: $10 cat neuter; $15 dog neuter; $20 cat spay; $25 dog spay. Rabies vaccine - $5. Diane got our TNR program started in 1995 - over 15,000 cats/kittens have been fixed and vaccinated for FREE! We are so very fortunate. Animal Services realizes that the CARE volunteers and county citizens are free labor and that the more cats fixed, the fewer complaints, fewer impounds, and euthanasias aren't increasing by leaps and bounds.
Connie Graham
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