2.26.2007

Davis Enterprise

UCD veterinarians support Spay Day; surgery offered at reduced cost

More than 100 dogs were spayed or neutered Sunday at UC Davis as part of Spay Day, an annual event coordinated by the Sacramento Area Animal Coalition (SAAC) in this region. Clinics offer the surgery at a reduced cost for pets of low-income families.

Sacramento's was the largest single-day event of 400 Spay Day USA events held nationwide this month. Across the Sacramento region, 800 dogs and cats were spayed or neutered, preventing an estimated 11,000 puppy and kitten births in the next year, 355,000 births over the next three years, and 9.8 million over the next
five years.

SAAC spokesperson Pam Runquist said spaying and neutering is an effective way to reduce the pet overpopulation problem in Sacramento, where nearly half of the 40,000 animals who enter the city's three shelters are killed because there are not enough homes for them. In Yolo County, up to 3,000 animals die at the shelter each year.
"Spaying and neutering benefits both people and pets," Runquist said in a news release. "Animals who are spayed and neutered are healthier, better behaved, live longer and do not produce dogs and cats who often
end up being killed in shelters because there simply aren't enough people to adopt them."

Sixteen veterinary groups and 600 volunteers across the region participated in Sunday's event including UCD's School of Veterinary Medicine and the Animal Wellness Center in Davis. At UCD, 250 faculty, staff and student volunteers pitched in to help. Faculty and experienced staff members performed the procedures. Students
assisted according to their level of training. The dogs also received thorough physical examinations, vaccinations and microchips used for identification if they ever become lost.

Bennie Osburn, dean of the veterinary school, said in a news release that Spay Day is a "fantastic opportunity for us to help the community." "Our volunteers are making a real difference in reducing the number of
homeless pets euthanized in shelters," Osburn said.

Spay Day clients paid $20 per dog and $15 per cat for the surgery, microchip identification, flea preventive and vaccinations - services that typically cost about $250.

For more information on other low-cost spay and neuter programs, visit SAAC's Web site at www.sacanimal.org.

Copyright, 2007, The Davis Enterprise. All Rights Reserved.