SPAY DAY 2013
Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter Offers FREE Spay/Neuter for Resident Pets
In honor of World Spay Day 2013 Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter (SCCAS), in partnership with Friends of Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter (FOSCCA) and Friends of Watsonville Animal Shelter (FOWAS), will offer FREE spay or neuter surgeries for Santa Cruz County resident dogs, cats and rabbits. Registration and scheduling for the free surgeries (limit is two animals per residence) will be available on Sunday, February 24, 2013 from 10 am to 3 pm at both SCCAS shelter locations: 2200 7th Ave. in Santa Cruz and 580 Airport Blvd. in Watsonville. Animal owners should not bring their animals to register and must bring proof of residence in Santa Cruz County.
The goals are to help reduce our homeless animal population and also help residents comply with current animal ownership laws. Santa Cruz County has a law requiring that dogs and cats over the age of six months that reside in Santa Cruz County must be spayed or neutered.
All surgeries are performed at our Santa Cruz shelter location by a licensed veterinarian with a professional focus on spay/neuter procedures. Surgeries include a preoperative exam by a veterinarian, pain medication and dissolvable sutures. To receive the free spay or neuter surgery, SCCAS provides and requires a rabies vaccination (if not current), a microchip, a dog license (if not current), and a blood panel test if the animal is over 7 years of age. SCCAS offers these services at low-cost:
Rabies vaccination (dogs and cats) $10
Microchip identification including registration (dogs, cats and rabbits) $25
License for altered dog $29
Blood Panel Test (animals over 7 years of age) $55
SCCAS regularly offers low-cost spay and neuter surgeries through the Planned PetHood program, starting at $50 for cats, Pit Bulls and Chihuahuas, $75 for rabbits, and $100 for dogs.
According to the Humane Society of the United States, 6-8 million cats and dogs nationwide enter shelters every year. It is estimated than half of them are euthanized. Euthanasia is the leading cause of death among companion animals, striking more pets than cancer, rabies, feline leukemia and heartworm combined. Spay/Neuter is the most effective solution to end pet overpopulation.
Also, spaying and neutering pets can be beneficial to pets and owners as well. Spaying or neutering a pet can reduce offensive behaviors like urine spraying as well as eliminate or reduce the risks of ovarian, uterine, mammary, testicular and prostate cancers.
For more information, please visit www.scanimalshelter.org.
About Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter (SCCAS)
Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter (SCCAS) provides animal regulation and humane care that protects the health, public safety and welfare of people and animals in Santa Cruz County.
SCCAS currently rescues and assures safe, temporary shelter, veterinary and humane care for approximately 7,000 stray, unwanted, abandoned, mistreated and injured animals each year. SCCAS also provides 24 hour animal rescue service and is Santa Cruz County’s only full service, open-admission animal shelter. SCCAC provides two locations for owners to find and recover their lost pets and adopt new animal companions at 2200 7th Avenue in Live Oak, Santa Cruz, and 580 Airport Boulevard in Watsonville.
SCCAS is an organization charged with the responsibility of rescuing thousands of lost and homeless animals and animals suffering from cruelty, neglect and indifference.
Animal Care and Control facilities are often referred to derogatorily as “the pound”. They are often one of the most misunderstood organizations in any community. Although their mission is to save lives, their community’s irresponsible pet ownership requires them to euthanize animals, and then they are faulted for doing so. These organizations don’t have the luxury of shrinking from the life and death issues of animal welfare. They are the only animal welfare agency in any community that has to address the issue of pet euthanasia head on every minute of every day.
For more information, please call 831-454-7303 or visit our website www.scanimalshelter.org.