Second Chance: Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Clinics

16 Sep Second Chance: Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Clinics

Dear Pet Column,

I definitely get that spaying or neutering your pet is the right choice to make because there are so many pets out there that need homes. But what if I can’t afford that surgery for my pet – and my friend said it can change a pet’s personality too and I love my cat!

Sincerely, Dismayed about the Spay,

Purrs to you, Dismayed, for such good questions.

My name is Mew Mew and I will be assisting you through your apprehensions today. Let me start with that you are not alone and my staff here at Second Chance Humane Society hear these and similar concerns every day.

Let me start by talking about the Second Chance Spay/Neuter Program, developed to support residents within our tri-county service area with an income of $50,000 or less in making the best choice for their pet. Finances should not be a barrier to you for helping to save lives…

We hold clinics every two months (or more depending upon demand) to help ease the expense of what can be a costly procedure, but one that is of paramount importance. Spaying and neutering “intact” animals is a vital element in controlling the pet population and helping cats like myself stay in homes and out of shelters.

Plain and simple, altering intact animals can also help improve your pet’s health as well as prevent behavioral issues. Intact cats have a much stronger urge to spray than those that have been spayed or neutered, similar to dogs and urine marking. Spraying is a behavior that results in many felines being dropped at a shelter and one that can largely be prevented if addressed before the behavior is too established by a cat.

Additionally, unneutered male dogs are more prone to urine marking and unspayed females have a much stronger urge to roam while in heat (and thus also ending up at as shelter as a stray).  Spaying and neutering can also help “chill out” excessively high-strung animals and decrease undesirable dominance related behavior such as mounting or aggression.

A common myth surrounding spaying and neutering is that the animals’ personality will be transformed after the procedure, but that is not the case. There will be no fundamental change other than the positive ones discussed above.

Ruminate no longer, our low cost spay and neuter clinics are there as a community resource and are available to residents of Montrose, Ouray, and San Miguel Counties. Our goal is to ensure that anyone in the region who wants to take advantage of this beneficial program has the means to do so regardless of income. Prices for surgeries range from $20 – $40. Contact us to learn more or follow us on Facebook for upcoming clinic dates…

As for me, I am 16-weeks-young, quiet, cuddly, spayed, and beyond my ambitions for teaching humans the art of telepathy. I am most looking forward to a great new family falling in love with me…

Editor’s note: It’s no secret. The Telluride region is dog heaven. Well, pet heaven. Unless you are one of our furry friends who gets caught in the maw of neglect and abuse. Then heaven is on hold until Second Chance Humane Society comes to the rescue. Second Chance is the region’s nonprofit dedicated to saving animals’ lives and promoting responsible pet parenting and human-animal bond. In her weekly blog, executive director Kelly Goodin profiles at least one, generally two of the many animals now living at the no-kill shelter, Angel Ridge Shelter, a dog and a cat, hoping to find them loving permanent homes. The column is sponsored by Ted Hoff of Cottonwood Ranch & Kennel, who from time to time exercises his skills as a dog whisperer, partnering with Kelly and her staff to help train a particularly challenging animal.

Ted Hoff &  Magnificent Mae

By the by, there is no better place to park your pup than Cottonwood whenever you head out of town (for locals) or are heading to town and staying somewhere that does not allow pets. Consider joining Ted’s Very Important Dog (VID) Club for added benies. (Details on Ted’s website.)