The Victoria Spay and Neuter Clinic is closed. This is a real tragedy for the animals.

In the early 1960's the realization came to many citizens in Victoria that the best way to stop euthanasia was to stop the animals being born in the first place. Thoughts were tossed about for years until the decision to build a low-cost spay and neuter clinic was finalised. Funds were collected from the citizens of Victoria and after years of perseverence and hard work by volunteers the SPCA Spay and Neuter Clinic became a reality in 1986.

The clinic was designed to be subsidized by donations and to be a pro-active rather than reactive solution to over-population.
Many veterinarians in the Victoria area were unhappy but some embraced the idea whole-heartedly and even offered to help by doing the overflow at reduced prices.

In the beginning the clinic was very successful, but the shelter continued to adopt out unaltered animals with vouchers for future sterilization to be redeemed. These vouchers, even though paid for by the pet purchaser at the time of purchase, often were never redeemed. A study was done showing results of approximately a 70% redemption rate. The animals not being done were often just being allowed to have "just one litter" (defeating the whole purpose).

After a few years problems began with the shelter still not altering its own animals and veterinarians and staff uninterested in doing the volume necessary to make the clinic successful. This was the beginning of the end of the clinic.

A spay and neuter clinic can be successful if it is well organized. The Victoria clinic could have been saved if management and union had not made it so difficult and expensive for the low-income pet owner. (The philosophy that it was not meant to break even was lost along the way.)

It could have been successful if it had not been closed this year to the public, only doing shelter animals. The fact the shelter was spaying and neutering all animals was wonderful, but without the opportunity to include the public's animals it also was impossible to keep the clinic running at full volume every day.

The Victoria clinic could still be successful if re-opened with a new philosophy. Many veternarians do upwards of 14 spays and neuters in a day. Why couldn't the Victoria shelter? Why not subsidize the low-income (determining low-income would have to be done leaving the applicant's dignity intact) surgeries at a very reasonable cost of say $10 (a nominal fee helps pet owners feel they are part of the solution), but be willing to waive the fee if it causes hardship. Fill all vacancies with shelter animals. No animal would leave the shelter unaltered.

While Craig Daniell is suggesting that the Victoria Shelter will be able to tackle spay and neuter with other programs in co-operation with the Victoria veterinary community it is depressing to see the Victoria shelter return to the days of animals leaving the shelter unaltered with just a voucher to be redeemed.

If only 70% are redeemed the overflow that is at the Victoria Shelter today is guaranteed to last forever.

Louise Englund
Victoria