Feature
July
07
Animal Shelter Expands Spay-neuter Program
by Michelle Gautreaux
The Terrebonne Parish Animal Shelter has made getting a pet spayed or neutered easier by inviting pet owners outside of the parish to participate in “Operation: Reduce Population,” the shelter’s low-cost spay-and-neuter program.
The program began in 2009 as a way to combat animal overpopulation in the parish. The Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals offers the spay-and-neuter services, so the local shelter began taking weekly trips to the New Orleans clinic where the surgeries are performed.
“We continued to research ways to get an affordable spay-neuter program for the public,” said Valerie Robinson, the shelter’s manager. “The LASPCA was an avenue we could use.”
In June, the shelter began visiting the clinic twice weekly and doubled available monthly surgery appointments from 80 to 160.
“We saw empty spots, and we wanted to fill them,” Robinson said. “We didn’t want to leave spots open because the animals weren’t from our parish.”
The low-cost program allows pet owners to get their dogs and cats spayed or neutered for a minimal fee. The surgery costs $25 to $50 for cats and $50 to $100 for dogs, depending on the size of the animal.
An air-conditioned cargo van transports the animals to the clinic.
“It’s just like going to the veterinarian—just a little farther,” Robinson said. “They feel comfy in their carriers.”
Having a pet spayed or neutered helps to combat animal overpopulation, an issue that has become severe in Terrebonne Parish. The local shelter takes in about 145 animals each week.
Males can smell females in heat miles away, so mating contributes to the overpopulation problem when the animals stray from their homes or get dropped off by owners who no longer want them.
Spaying and neutering takes away the hormone-driven behavior.
“A lot of bad behaviors are removed,” Robinson said.
In addition to reducing overpopulation, having a pet spayed or neutered carries health benefits as well.
The risk of cancer in the animals’ reproductive organs is reduced following the surgery, and the animals tend to become calmer and less aggressive.
“It helps to make them happier, healthier pets that people want,” Robinson said.
