Veterinary Clinic Focused on Spay/Neuter
The Humane Society recently announced that we plan to build a veterinary clinic that will be focussed on the spaying/neutering of cats and dogs. For years we have emphasised the importance of spaying and neutering all companion animals as a way to help control pet overpopulation. In 2006 we built an in-house surgical suite which allowed us to spay or neuter all animals prior to adoption, however, that clinic is not accredited by the College of Veterinarians of Ontario (CVO) as a companion animal hospital and therefore can only provide services to animals owned by the Humane Society.
In order for the Humane Society to operate a public veterinary hospital it must have a separate entrance and facilities from our in-house operations. To achieve this, we plan to build a separate building on our existing property which will serve as the animal clinic. Fundraising for this project will be incorporated into our shelter expansion fund, and the hospital will now be the principle part of phase 3 of the expansion. Timing for construction will depend on contributions from the community, although if the necessary support is forthcoming construction could begin in 2010. The inclusion of this new aspect of the expansion (as well as some cost overruns which were required to manage stormwater on our site) means that the new goal for our ‘Help End the Heartache’ shelter expansion campaign is $2.4 million.
This project is critical to our goal of ending the needless euthanasia of companion animals in Windsor and Essex County by 2012. There continue to be too many animals in our community giving birth to unwanted litters, often because their owners are unable to have them spayed or neutered for financial reasons. The Humane Society has researched this issue extensively and found that this type of clinic has been successful in other areas reducing intake at local shelters while not negatively impacting the private veterinary community.
Please click here if you would like to make a donation to the shelter expansion fund and help support this vital work in our community (please choose Shelter Expansion Fund as the designation).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do these types of clinics actually reduce the number of animals who enter shelters?
Clinics utilizing this spay/neuter model in the US have reduced shelter admissions and euthanasia by up to 70%.1 There have been no known scientific papers or credible cases presented, either theoretical or empirical, that argue against a negative relationship between shelter intake and total spay/neuter levels.2
Do these types of clinics compete with private veterinarians?
Data collected at these clinics in other areas shows that 86% of spay/neuter clients have no previous relationship with a veterinarian.3 A paper published in the journal Ecological Economics reported the following “...[T]here are a number of people who have argued that low-cost spay/neuter programs merely cannibalize regular spay/neuter procedures rather than increasing total spay/neuter levels... The results of this study present strong evidence that neither of these cannibalization or substitution effects take place, or at least if they occur, they are more than compensated for by positive spill over effects (i.e. a complement effect) in adoption and spay/neuter efforts. The evidence is particularly strong in the case of spay/neuter procedures, where discount programs appear to significantly promote regular spay/neuter procedures.”4
When will the clinic be built?
Timing for construction will depend on contributions from the community. If the necessary support is forthcoming we could begin construction in 2010.
What if I need to have my animal fixed in the meantime?
We recommend that you contact your usual veterinarian to inquire about having your animal spayed or neutered. Many veterinarians will work with you to help make the procedure as affordable as possible. If you don’t have a veterinarian, you can find one online at http://www.cvo.org/regulat-acc-practices.cfm.
Who will be allowed to use the clinic?
The Humane Society clinic will be open to anyone in the community.
Will the clinic do other procedures besides spaying and neutering?
The clinic will offer some vaccinations and other basic services, but only at the time of spay/neuter. For annual examinations and emergency care pet owners will be encouraged to develop an ongoing relationship with a community veterinarian.
Does the City of Windsor provide any funding to this clinic?
The funds to build the veterinary clinic will be coming from the shelter expansion fund, which is raised through private donations and fundraising. To date, the City of Windsor has not made any contribution to this fund; in fact, we have paid the City more than $20,000 in fees as part of the building permit approval process. The Humane Society has a contract with the City of Windsor to provide animal control services, but this is a fee for services contract that was publicly tendered. It is similar to a contract between the City and a private company to pick up recycling. There are other municipalities where the city offers spay/neuter services to its residents, but to date the City of Windsor has not decided to offer this service.
Why can’t the Humane Society fix my pet for me now?
The Humane Society does have an in-house surgical suite where we spay or neuter all animals prior to adoption, however, that clinic is not accredited by the College of Veterinarians of Ontario (CVO) as a companion animal hospital and therefore can only provide services to animals owned by the Humane Society. In order for us to operate a public veterinary hospital it must have a separate entrance and facilities from our in-house operations.
Is it really important that I fix my animal?
Pet overpopulation is at crisis levels in Ontario; each year tens of thousands of dogs and cats end up on the streets, where they fall victim to neglect and abuse, or in shelters in search of new homes. Fixing your pet reduces health risks and improves behaviour in both cats and dogs, especially when done early. Some people feel that they should allow their pet to have one litter, but good homes are hard to find. Every animal who is intentionally bred takes a home that might otherwise go to a shelter animal in need. In addition, spaying a female cat or dog before she goes into heat even once will greatly reduce her risk of developing mammary, ovarian and uterine cancer.
How much will the clinic charge?
Under the College of Veterinarian of Ontario’s regulations, clinics are not allowed to advertise their prices, or compare prices to other clinics. Once the clinic is open the prices will be provided upon request to potential clients.
What do veterinarians think about the clinic?
In every municipality in Ontario where Humane Societies are planning to open veterinary hospitals there is some concern from the local veterinary community. This is natural and expected. Change is difficult for anyone and, until the past year or two, Humane Society-run veterinary clinics were not very common.
Will this clinic be involved with TNR (trap-neuter-release) programs?
We anticipate that this clinic will be able to assist other individuals and groups working on TNR programs. We have already been in discussions with a number of people involved in TNR who are excited about the possibilities that this clinic will offer.
1 http://www.spayneuter.ontariospca.ca/facts.html.
2 Frank, J. and Frank, P., 2006. Analysis of programs to reduce overpopulation of companion animals: Do adoption and low-cost spay/neuter programs merely cause substitution of sources? Ecological Economics 62 (2007) 740-746.
3 http://www.humanealliance.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15&Itemid=43.
4 Frank, J. and Frank, P., 2006. Analysis of programs to reduce overpopulation of companion animals: Do adoption and low-cost spay/neuter programs merely cause substitution of sources? Ecological Economics 62 (2007) 740-746.
Another way to support the clinic is by purchasing one of our SNAP (Spay/Neuter All Pets) Pins for only $3.50 each!
