Local participation in Spay Day 2016
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- Published on Thursday, October 27, 2016
By Miranda Leybourne
Neepawa Banner
Cat and dog overpopulation is a real problem facing Manitoba and local vet clinics in the area are doing their part to alleviate the situation during Manitoba Spay Day.
Manitoba Spay Day is a new province-wide initiative put on by the Manitoba Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA) to combat dog and cat overpopulation. On Nov. 2, several vet clinics in the province will be offering spay and neuter services for dogs and cats at discounted rates.
Dr. Marie North is the veterinarian who runs the Carberry Small Animal Veterinary Clinic. She was part of the Manitoba Spay Day Committee and helped get the idea of the event off the ground. She says she hopes the program, in its inaugural year, will be successful.
“We have such a large number of cats that are being relinquished and brought to shelters and being euthanized and we just feel it’s really important to address pet overpopulation. We don’t want cost to be an issue.”
North goes on to say that many people are unaware of how much time and work veterinarians around the province do to help out the animals in their community.
“We want to take this opportunity to be proactive on one day to highlight that yes, we care and yes, we want to make a difference. It’s not just about money, it’s something we just really feel is important.”
North is hoping to see Manitoba Spay Day become part of a larger, prairie-wide initiative over the next few years, all in the hopes of spreading awareness of the benefits of spaying and neutering and reducing the amount of unwanted animals veterinarians deal with.
“We see a lot of unwanted, uncared for animals, dogs and cats that are breeding unnecessarily,” she remarks. “People want to experience kittens or puppies, but...when you’re at the other end, where you have to deal with them, it’s hard to swallow sometimes.”
Dr. North’s clinic will be offering a 30 per cent discount for spay and neuter surgeries for their current clients. Any surgery spots left will be advertised on social media.
The Neepawa Vet Clinic will also be participating in Manitoba Spay Day, with Dr. Liz Ostendorf offering 40 per cent off spay and neuter services on Nov. 2.
She says spay and neuter surgeries are expensive, and she’s hoping the discount will make a difference for those wishing to neuter or spay their pets who could not normally afford it. She also hopes that it will make a difference to the animals who end up suffering because of overpopulation.
“People have litters of puppies and they’re unable to find homes for all of them and then unfortunately, they end up getting dumped on the side of the road,” she remarks. “We deal with trying to find homes for these unwanted animals on a daily basis.”
Dr. Ostendorf says controlling the pet population is extremely important to her, which is why in the past, she’s offered discounted days for spaying and neutering barn cats, one last August and before that in March. She adds that it’s something she plans to continue to do at her clinic.
Dr. Tanya Anderson, veterinarian at the Gladstone Veterinary Clinic, is taking part in Manitoba Spay Day as well, and says her clinic has already been booked full for it. She’s excited to be able to help out local pet owners.
“It allows vet clinics to give back to the communities. Perhaps people who might not be able to afford veterinary care can at least get their pets spayed and neutered,” she says.
Anderson also runs a stray fund out of her clinic, which involves subsidizing surgeries for the animals.
“People can donate to that fund and that helps us find homes for strays, by fixing them before we find homes for them. It gives us a much better chance to rehome them,” she explains.
For more information on Manitoba Spay Day 2016, visit www.mvma.ca or phone your local vet clinic.
