Mandatory Spay/Neuter Ordinance in Long Beach

On October 1st in the city of Long Beach, a mandatory spay/neuter (MSN) ordinance will go into effect for dogs. MSN law has been in effect for cats since 2010. The legislation was passed on March 17th, 2015, with a 7-1 vote. The MSN ordinance will require all dogs to be altered by six months of age and cats to be altered by four months. Responsible pet owners with unaltered pets will be grandfathered in if their dogs do not meet the exceptions until the current city license expires or the dog dies.

There are several exceptions to the ordinance, the full list may be found here. Exempt from MSN are working dogs, show dogs, and breeding dogs. Breeding dogs must be registered by a recognized breed registry. Show dogs that have not been shown will have 90 days to come into compliance. Dogs that are incapable of breeding or have medical concerns that render surgery unsafe are also exempt from the ordinance. In all cases owners are required to provide proof that their dog meets an exemption. Also exempt from MSN are dogs within a shelter environment though the dogs must be altered prior to adoption.

There was concern about the financial pressures this may put on low-income families. In order to relieve the financial burden placed on low income families vouchers will be given out to reduce the cost of surgery. Friends of Long Beach Animals is opening a low cost spay/neuter clinic and Fix Long Beach offers free surgeries to low income families.

Animal Care Services Shelter Manager, Ted Stevens, lists the following costs for the MSN ordinance:

• $50,000 for public education
• $30,000 for spay/neuter vouchers
• $21,000 for a part-time license inspector

In order to increase revenue annual license fees will be increased by $4-10.

The goals of the MSN ordinance are to decrease the pet population, decrease dog bite instances, and educate the public about their responsibilities as pet owners and on pet health. Stevens says, “it’s not a cure-all but another tool in our tool belt to help with fighting the pet-overpopulation problem”.

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ASPCA Acquires Humane Alliance

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) acquired Humane Alliance (HA) in August 2015. HA is an organization that specializes in high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter procedures. HA is primarily a spay/neuter training program that teaches hundreds of veterinarians each year.

HA opened in 1994 with four employees. By 2008 HA launched its training program and training began in 2009. Through 2014, 511 veterinarians and 459 externs from nine countries have received training through HA. HA’s training program has assisted 141 clinics in the United States and Canada with over 4.8 million surgeries performed. HA also has a clinic in the United States where they positively contribute to decreasing overpopulation. ASPCA’s Senior Vice President of Animal Health Services, Dr. Jed Rogers said, “As veterinarians specializing in high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter techniques, Humane Alliance’s expertise is unparalleled, and we know the unique skills of its staff will benefit the work we do around the country.”

The ASPCA has been providing financial support to HA since 2007. Former Executive Director of Humane Alliance, Quita Mazzina said, “The ASPCA is a long-standing partner and supporter of our spay/neuter programs, so this is a natural next step to further our reach and results.” Due to the acquisition of HA, the ASPCA will now be able to provide more training to veterinarians and veterinary students as well as increase the number of spay/neuter clinics in the United States. According to the ASPCA, “This will make it possible for veterinarians, shelters, and rescue operations to reach millions more at-risk animals with these critical services, dramatically reducing the number of homeless pets entering shelters nationwide.”

ASPCA’s President and CEO, Matt Bershadker said, “From our animal sheltering work to field rescues to legislative advocacy, spay/neuter is an essential component of the ASPCA’s animal welfare efforts. We have long admired and supported Humane Alliance’s innovations in spay/neuter practice and training, and are excited to combine forces to end animal homelessness and suffering around the country.”

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City Requires Mandatory Spaying and Neutering of Pets

Pasadena, California, has a mandatory spay/neuter municipal code taking effect on July 1st, 2015. The city requires that all dogs and cats over the age of six months must be spayed or neutered.

The following animals are exempt and may remain intact:

• Service dogs
• Pets that are in danger of serious injury or death due to the procedure   
• Show/competition animals that have a competition record approved by the Pasadena Humane Society or a national registry
• Breeding animals that are registered with the American Kennel Club, United Kennel Club, American Dog Breeders Association, Cat Fancier’s Association, The International Cat Association, and American Cat Fancier’s Association

Free spays and neuters are being offered by the Pasadena Humane Society for pit bulls, pit crosses, Chihuahuas, and Chihuahua crosses under 15lbs.

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One Year Anniversary of Welland & District Humane Society High-Volume Spay/Neuter Clinic

Approximately one year ago the Welland and District Humane Society opened a high-volume spay/neuter clinic. The past year has been very busy with over 4000 surgeries performed! The clinic currently has openings available for people that would like their pets spayed or neutered. Book an appointment here or by calling 289-820-9651.

“The Welland & District Humane Society is very proud and excited to have reached our one-year anniversary on May 5, 2015. To date, we have performed over 4,000 surgeries in our attempt to reduce pet overpopulation. We are very proud of our surgical team for their efforts and professionalism. A big thank you to everyone who have helped make this clinic a resounding success!” said Inspector John Greer, Executive Director of the Welland & District Humane Society.

In April the Welland SPCA in partnership with the Ontario SPCA unleashed a fully equipped mobile spay and neuter clinic to help reduce pet overpopulation across Ontario.

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Lincoln County Humane Society Clinic Completes Ten Thousand Surgical Procedures

On  May 4th, 2015, the Lincoln County Humane Society Animal Clinic (LCHS) in Ontario completed its 10,000th surgical procedure! The surgical sterilizations are part of a province-wide goal to end pet overpopulation; learn more about OSPCA Spay/Neuter services. Kevin Strooband, Executive Director of the LCHS says “the Lincoln County Humane Society euthanasia rates have gone down significantly with our clinic’s success, and our progressive and creative adoption programs”.

Unsterilized animals can increase overpopulation, tens of thousands of dogs and cats are found homeless each year in Ontario. Overpopulation also contributes to pet neglect and abuse. Tanya Firmage, OSPCA Chief of Humane Programs & Community Outreach, states “the Ontario SPCA has seen huge success in our Spay/Neuter Services program. Our shelters across the province have seen a reduction of cat intake of 19% and in our Barrie Branch a reduction of cat intake of over 50%, this is proof that spay/neutering pets helps reduce the pet overpopulation.”

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OSPCA Unleashes Mobile Spay/Neuter Unit in Test Trial

Kate MacDonald, Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario SPCA, has announced that the Welland SPCA will be running a test clinic with a new mobile spay and neuter unit. The mobile unit is a fully-equipped portable veterinary hospital. The test clinic will be run at Six Nations in Southern Ontario and is currently limited to neuters. Within the first two days the mobile unit has 50 appointments scheduled and expects some walk-ins as well.

Once the test in Six Nations is finished the OSPCA plans to take the mobile unit across Ontario and provide spay and neuter services to the animals in First Nations Communities. The mobile unit will have 4 veterinarians, 6 veterinary technicians, and 12-16 volunteers. The mobile unit is partially funded by a grant from PetSmart Charities of Canada.

2011 Year of the Cat Report Released

The 2011 Year of the Cat focused awareness on the need for routine veterinary care, identification and spay/neuter procedures, which resulted in a better understanding of Canada's most popular pet – the cat.

Now available is an indepth look into the 2011 Year of the Cat campaign. Click here for the full report.

For more information on Year of the Cat, please contact Judi Cannon at judi.cannon@petlynxmail.com or 705.930.7387.

City puts no-cost spay program on temporary hold

The City of Calgary's animal services department has been forced to suspend its no-cost spay and neuter program for pets of low-income families to catch up on a backlog of applications.

685 free spay and neuter surgeries have been completed since the program was launched in October 2010. Low-income pet owners have to prove they are financially eligible to take part in the program.

Animal services currently has 200 applications to go through, but staff have been busy taking care of an influx of pets in the pound.

“We’ve got more animals in house than we typically have,” said Bruce. “We’re holding them longer, so that’s taking a lot more staff time away to care for them. It’s been a very busy summer.”

Read the full article in the Calgary Herald