First nations spay/neuter in the SPCA's Animal Sense magazine, Fall/Winter 2003

ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES we face in northern B.C. is pet overpopulation, says Dr. Jamie Lawson, the BC SPCA's chief animal health officer. Anecdotally, our northern shelters report many animals coming from First Nations lands.

Funded by a grant from the Summerlee Foundation, the BC SPCA has employed Linda Locke, a First Nations lawyer living in Hazelton, to conduct a survey on pet overpopulation among First Nations communities. Her study will provide an overview of the animal population in the north and will guide the BC SPCA in the formulation of a long-term spay/neuter plan for the region.

The work is not yet complete, but so far the results definitely indicate a strong need for increased spay/neuter programs in many First Nations communities,says Locke. The reality is that it is not a lack of will, but of resources and access to veterinary services that is preventing people from having their animals spayed or neutered.

If the findings warrant, the BC SPCA will begin pursuing financial support to launch a comprehensive spay/neuter program, probably through the use of a mobile spay/neuter clinic.