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Montreal, February 21, 2013 – According to the Montreal’s SPCA, on Tuesday, February 26, they will participate on Québec Spay/Neuter Day. This event is being organized by the Veterinary Association of Quebec. The purpose is to raise awareness and encourage people to sterilize companion animals. Montreal’s SPCA will be hosting a free spay/neuter clinic for the dogs and cats of youths who are at Pops/Dans la Rue, an organization that works with street kids aged 12 to 25.
It is a big step for the SPCA towards the community of Montreal to hold the ever first free spay/neuter event of this kind. There is however a need for approval and support by the Veterinary Order of Quebec; the SPCA is only normally permitted to provide veterinary services for its own animals, and not for those of the public. They have a veterinary team that works with a busy schedule performing surgeries 6 times a week for animals at the shelter and for feral cats through the TNRM program (Trap-Neuter-Release-Maintain). Representatives of the Montreal state that animal overpopulation is at a crisis level in Quebec.
Alanna Devine, Director of Animal Advocacy at Montreal’s SPCA states:
“One of the key ways to address this situation is to make spay/neuter accessible to all pet owners/guardians, especially those motivated to sterilize their animals but who don’t have the means to do so. The kids at Pops who have animals are genuinely interested in their welfare and want to have them spayed/neutered, but they likely haven’t had the opportunity to do so at a price they could afford – we are giving them that opportunity.”
Similarly, according to Gabrielle Carrière, Head veterinarian at Montreal’s SPCA, “We are really excited to be able to provide this service to the youth and their pets who are served by Dans la rue. We hope this is the beginning of a new era where the SPCA and other non-profit organizations will be permitted to provide spay/neuter services at lower or no cost to animals that belong to members of the public who may not be able to otherwise afford this important surgery.”
There is a fund that takes donations in order to help SPCA’s TNRM program for feral cats or special spay/neuter initiatives like this one with Pops/Dans La Rue. Interested people can make a donation online by clicking here or by calling 1-866-888-7722. Please remember to specify that your donation is for the “Community Sterilization Fund”. For more information about the Quebec Spay/Neuter Day and the Veterinary Association of Quebec, visit their website by clicking here.
