All day Saturday, back-to-back, staff at the Clearview Market Dog and Cat Hospital were hard at work spaying and neutering Red Deer SPCA animals.
It was an offshoot of the Big Fix for Felines partnership with local veterinarians, where vets donate surgery time to fix the SPCAs animals.
The original partnership brought support from area veterinarians by having them donate at least one spay or neuter procedure per month.
They have nine veterinarians committed so far. Tara Hellewell, Red Deer and District SPCA executive director, said they usually rely on spot help from local veterinarians based on pets in need.
“We seem to have the biggest issue with trying to get cats spayed so they can be put up for adoption,” said Hellewell. “In some cases the animals were waiting up to four months to become available for adoption because we were so backed up in our vet surgery.”
While they expected they would get a few veterinarians offering to help, Hellewell said to have nine commit to at least performing one surgery per month — some up to five per month — is a significant contribution to the SPCA.
One of those veterinarians, Dr. Kristi Volk with the Clearview Dog and Cat Hospital, offered to do a Saturday long spay and neuter-a-thon.
Thirty-one animals, both dogs and cats, were at the Clearview Dog and Cat Hospital for a variety of surgeries, mostly spays and neuters.
“We’re going to be totally caught up at the SPCA thanks to her,” said Hellewell. “We have a backlog right now and we won’t put them up for adoption until they’ve been spayed or neutered.”
A typical spay or neuter costs about $300 per animal.
Volk, who used to be the president of the board of the SPCA, had done one of these spay and neuter drives before offered to do it again.
“It’s our contribution,” said Volk.
“I know they’re behind on their spays and neuters so if we can get them done then they have them ready and available for adoption before Christmas.”
Right now there are more than 125 cats in the SPCA’s shelter.
“For them to give their time for no compensation whatsoever, just because they want to help us out and make sure those animals get homes as quickly as possible this Christmas, that’s an unbelievable gift,” said Hellewell.
mcrawford@www.reddeeradvocate.com