Prince George Citizen - Local SPCA wants private clinic: Dec. 8, 2003, Page 3, By Mark Nielsen
The Prince George branch is trying to convince the provincial SPCA to supply a veterinarian and a facility for spaying and neutering cats and dogs.
"We could fix 2,000 to 2,500 animals a year, just our own animals, and then everything would leave here fixed," said Prince George SPCA manager Jeannine Woodhouse. "If we had a low cost clinic we could solve the city's problem of pet overpopulation."
About 35 per cent of the unfixed animals adopted out never get spayed or neutered, Woodhouse said, even though the adopters pay a deposit of $45 for a cat and $60 for a dog that is refunded once the surgery is performed by a veterinarian.
New owners have come back to say the surgery is simply too expensive, especially because local veterinarians won't recognize vaccinations administered by the SPCA adding more to the cost, Woodhouse said, as the adopter must also pay for the shots administered at the shelter. As a result, many of the animals adopted out get pregnant because the operation hasn't been performed quick enough.
"It's been an ongoing issue for years," Woodhouse said.