Cat overpopulation requires fix
For the third year in a row, LAPS will help spay or neuter cats from financially strapped households. Vouchers are available at the shelter starting Monday on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Roxanne Hooper, Langley Advance
Published: Friday, March 07, 2008
Pet ownership comes with responsibilities, including a commitment not to over-populate the countryside with unwanted offspring.

But Langley, like many communities, threatens to be overrun by cats.

In some cases, the problem is simply that the price of fixing a pet is too cost-prohibitive for the pet owner.

To help curtail the feline reproduction cycle in Langley, and to aid those financially strapped pet owners, Langley Animal Protection Society (LAPS) is once again hosting a month-long free spay and neutering program this spring.
This program was started three years ago by LAPS as a way to address the issue of cat over-population, explained shelter manager Sean Baker.

"We have identified there is a need to address the cat population in Langley," Baker said. "Cats are prolific breeders. They're good at it, they do it often and they start young. We could have a shelter to house a thousand cats and we still wouldn't deal with the issue.

"Our objective is clear. We want to reduce the number of unwanted kittens and cats in Langley," he said.

So in partnership with private donors and local veterinarians, LAPS provides 200 spay or neuter a year to local cat owners.

The program is offered through a voucher system, on a first-come, first-serve basis. They are available to Langley residents only, and picture identification is required.

The vouchers are available starting Monday, March 10 through March 23 from the Langley Animal Shelter at 26220 56th Ave., with only one voucher given per household.

The vouchers cover the cost of spaying or neutering, a tattoo, and taxes. Other services are the owners responsibility, Baker emphasized. It entitles the recipient to attend an assigned vet clinic on an designated date in April for a free feline spaying or neutering.

"Although we do not ask for proof of income, we urge you to consider your financial position before claiming a voucher," Baker said. "This program is not free, as LAPS has raised money to meet this need. Please consider making a financial contribution to ensure that this program continues in the future."

Shelter staff are expecting to be inundated with requests Monday. Last year, for instance, 100 people applied for vouchers the first day, then the rest trickled in during the following weeks.

Each year the program "sells out" so-to-speak.

This year there are eight local vet clinics, up from six last year, participating in the program: Aldor Vet Clinic, Walnut Grove Animal Clinic, Apex Vet Clinic, Dolphin Vet Services, Brookswood Animal Clinic, Langley Animal Clinic, Fort Langley Vet Clinic, and Paws & Claws Animal Clinic.

Dr. Susan Lomond, owner of Paws & Claws, has been working closely with LAPS since she started her own practice in Murrayville almost five years ago and is excited to see the community being so pro-active on the issue.

"Just taking one of these cats out of the population, means you don't have to deal with thousands of unwanted cats. I think it's a great program and they're [LAPS] doing a great service for the community."

For more information about the LAPS program, call 604-857-5055, visit the shelter on 56th Avenue just west of 264th Street, or check online at: www.lapsbc.ca.

Ten-month-old Merlin is one large kitten..