January 17, 2008

Humane Society to offer discounted spay/neuter surgeries in February

Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV) and participating local veterinarians are offering 50 percent discounts on all spay/neuter surgeries during February.

HSSV veterinary technician Ben Munoz comforts Gus after surgery.

HSSV is offering the discounts to encourage the public to sterilize their pets to prevent unwanted litters and help reduce pet overpopulation. “Our message to pet owners is: don’t delay spay/neuter today,” says Christine Benninger, president of HSSV. “We’re hoping the discounted prices will encourage people to take action.”

Throughout the month, female cat spays are $62.50 while male cat neuters are $37.50. Spay/neuter surgeries for dogs are priced by the animal’s weight and sex and range from $57.50 for a male dog under 30 pounds to $92.50 for a female dog weighing between 76 and 99 pounds. Prices include a brief pre-op exam, pre-anesthetic, anesthetic, spay/neuter surgery and hospitalization on the day of surgery.

There are additional charges for those animals in heat, pregnant, cryptorchid (males whose testicles have not descended) and/or obese and all animals must be current on all vaccinations. More information can be found at www.hssv.org. Appointments can be made by calling 408.727.3383, ext. 828.

“When you consider that an unspayed cat can give birth to 18 kittens each year and an unspayed dog can give birth to 20 puppies each year, and that the average cost for shelters to handle each homeless animal is $176, it’s clear that spaying and neutering prevents millions of surplus births nationwide and saves millions of taxpayers’ dollars,” Benninger says.

Benninger notes that while many pet owners are responsible and do alter their pets, there is still a small percentage who delay the operation for a variety of reasons. “Some people worry their pet is too young or will get fat and lazy after the operation,” Benninger says She adds that it is safe to alter healthy cats and dogs as young as eight weeks of age. All animals are spayed or neutered before they are adopted from the shelter.

With regard to pets getting fat or lazy, Benninger says most pets get that way because their owners overfeed them and do not exercise them enough. “Spaying/neutering actually helps pets live longer, healthier lives and can greatly reduce the incidence of certain cancers. Neutering can also make pets less likely to roam the neighborhood, spray, run away or get into fights,” Benninger says.

To make the scenario even better, Dr. Beth Wildermann is one of those rare veterinarians who has made it her mission to reduce the unnecessary euthanasia of unwanted animals in Santa Clara County through spay/neuter surgeries. During her professional career as a spay/neuter specialist, she has performed more than 20,000 surgeries, preventing the potential births of more than 1 million dogs, cats and rabbits.

More information about HSSV can be found at www.hssv.org.