This is really a hot topic right now. I don't know of an area that isn't struggling with this. Low cost spay/neuter has completely dried up in our county. (Population of 700,000) People are contacting us daily in despair that they can't find any low cost spay/neuter in Utah County, Utah. The kicker is that many vets in our area won't or can't take any new patients even at full price. In the meantime, the pet population is multiplying at an alarming rate. Any progress that had been made in years past have been completely wiped out yet shelters are expected to hold to the "Save Them All" slogan. It's not possible! Our shelter is bursting at the seams and has been for well over two years. The public believes this mantra nonsense and blames the shelter if we have to euthanize. We didn't create the problem and have kept dogs for a year or longer trying to find a good outcome for them. The truth is, the longer a dog is in a kennel in an overcrowded environment, the worse the behaviors become. We have tried appealing to rescues, foster programs, volunteers for dog walking to get them out, doggy daycations and other programs to help. We have tried low cost, no cost adoptions with very little success. (Dogs and cats are adoption ready by being fully vaccinated, chipped and spayed/neutered). We can't offer any vet services to the public through our shelter as we are "governmental" and the local vets have demanded that government can't compete with private business even though they can't or won't offer this service to the public. My apologies as this is is extreme frustration showing through. We have many people contacting us daily asking us to take their pet. We explain we don't have any open kennels but they will then go on with, "If you don't take my dog he will have to be put down!". I want to tell them, well then you come in and decide which dog we have to "put down" to make room for your pet?!!! The next thing that happens is the dog comes in as a "stray" and even if microchipped the owner will say "we gave the dog away". It is beyond frustrating and the entire staff is suffering from compassion fatigue. Obviously I don't work the front desk as I am old enough that I say it like it is. I'm afraid we will start losing staff. We are already short staffed and overwhelmed. Our annual intake is between 4000-4500 animals. Our cats have been flying out of the shelter but we still have a daily count of almost 300 cats in care and 130 dogs in care. Its overwhelming and I surely understand the plea's for low cost/no cost spay/neuter and wish there was an easy answer.
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Carrie Ward
South Utah Valley Animal Services Special Service District
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-26-2023 03:47 PM
From: Myriam Martinez
Subject: Understanding Veterinary Costs Across the States"
Dear Maggie, That's wonderful! I'm so grateful for your advice and the wealth of information you've shared. Your guidance is invaluable, and I'm excited to put it into action for our TNR initiative in the community. I'd love to stay in touch and keep you updated on our progress, step by step. Your support means a lot, and together, we can make a significant difference in the lives of feral cats. Thank you for being a part of this important cause!
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Myriam Martinez
President
Mujeres Latinas SC
SC
Original Message:
Sent: 10-24-2023 09:58 PM
From: Maggie Thomas
Subject: Understanding Veterinary Costs Across the States"
Myriam, look at what other "poor" southern states are doing -- that will tell you what's doable politically and culturally.
Louisiana now has a "spay/neuter" prestige license plate -- it costs a few dollars extra per year to own one, but that money goes in a state fund that issues grants to non-profits for spay/neuter programs. Many non-profits give out vouchers covering "free" speuters at low cost clinics, funded with this grant money. LASPCA (the city shelter in New Orleans) also has a community vet clinic doing low-cost basic care (including annual visits, post-adoption--they're "the vet" that many low-income folks in the city can afford to see). Every large town in the state has a non-profit, high-volume spay/neuter clinic -- they churn through huge numbers of very low-cost surgeries (under $100, with lots and lots of vouchers given out by various orgs).
Several southern cities also have Pets for Life programs doing free spay/neuter in targeted low-income zip codes, with grant funding.
Clemson University is opening a vet school in SC -- and while it may not be in Charlston, it's close enough that you should try to help them plan a program to help with this issue--get with them ASAP to be sure that there's going to be a Shelter Medicine program there and that they will be having "spay days" and having third-year vet students doing rotations in shelter vet clinics. In fact, you might be able to work with them to get grant funding to open up a high-volume community spay/neuter clinic attached or near the vet school -- talk to them about being part of your state's solution. They might even be convinced to acquire a surgery bus to go to rural communities for this -- the LSU vet school's Shelter Medicine program goes to rural shelters that lack a staff vet and does lots of work at them a few times a month.
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Maggie Thomas
President
Red Stick German Shepherd Rescue
LA
Original Message:
Sent: 10-19-2023 04:48 PM
From: Myriam Martinez
Subject: Understanding Veterinary Costs Across the States"
If someone can't afford to see a doctor themselves, it's often challenging for them to cover the costs of spaying or neutering their pets. The financial strain on pet owners with limited resources can be significant. The issue of pet owners abandoning their dogs and cats due to the inability to afford spaying/neutering is a significant concern here in Charleston South Carolina. How we can address this problem and assist in controlling the animal population?
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Myriam Martinez
President
Mujeres Latinas SC
SC
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