AR-News: (Washington, DC) Rescue League's Spay/Neuter Clinic will open May 3

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Rescue League's Spay, Neuter Clinic Will Open May 3


The Washington Post; 4/25/2004; D'Vera Cohn Washington Post Staff Writer 

The Washington Post

04-25-2004

Rescue League's Spay, Neuter Clinic Will Open May 3
Byline: D'Vera Cohn Washington Post Staff Writer
Edition: FINAL
Section: Metro

The Washington Animal Rescue League will launch the region's first free
year-round spay and neuter clinic for cats, dogs and other pets next month.
Anyone, regardless of income, will be able to request the services. 

Each spring, shelters receive a flood of unwanted puppies and kittens and
do not always have room for all of them. Most shelters have a policy of
euthanizing the animals that are not adopted quickly. 

The clinic, scheduled to open May 3, is intended to "drastically reduce
the number of animals being needlessly euthanized in area shelters," said
the league's executive director, Scotlund Haisley. He said "thousands,
if not hundreds of thousands" of animals are euthanized in the city and
suburbs each year.

"We're doing this for the animals," he said. "We're doing it so unborn
animals are not born into a life destined for euthanasia."

Nationally, the number of cats and dogs euthanized each year has been dropping
since the establishment three decades ago of spay-neuter campaigns, which
also emphasize the surgery's benefits in preventing some types of cancer.


But animal-welfare advocates say they face a variety of obstacles in persuading
pet owners to have their animals sterilized. Some cannot afford it, and
others resist the cost. 

Nationwide, the estimated charge for the service is $48 for a cat and $148
for a dog, according to the American Animal Hospital Association. Some
people believe sterilization is against nature, and others do not see the
need for it, according to shelter officials. 

Low-income residents in the region have had access to some free surgeries
for their pets. Reduced-cost spaying and neutering is more widely available.

A nonprofit group, Spay Inc., sponsored 6,214 procedures in the District
and Northern Virginia last year by negotiating reduced fees with veterinarians.
In the District, people who adopt from the D.C. Animal Shelter are referred
to private veterinarians for reduced-fee procedures, which range in cost
from $35 to $70 for cats and $70 to $110 for dogs, according to Vera Jackson,
a spokeswoman for the city Health Department. 

The Washington Animal Rescue League, a nonprofit group celebrating its
90th anniversary this year, will offer the free surgery five days a week
by appointment at its clinic in Northwest Washington. It will have a goal
of 1,200 operations the first year, each including a medical examination.
Haisley said he is recruiting veterinarians to volunteer and is applying
for grants to subsidize other costs.

In addition to dogs and cats, animals eligible for surgery include some
other small mammals, such as guinea pigs and rabbits. 

Individuals and members of a network of animal welfare groups called Shelter
Animal Relief Effort will be permitted to request the services. The league
is working with Alley Cat Allies, a rescue group, on a separate spay-neuter
program for feral cats.

Keywords: MET

Copyright 2004, The Washington Post Co. All Rights Reserved.