First nations spay/neuter in the SPCA's Animal Sense magazine, Fall/Winter 2003
FIRST NATIONS
SPAY / NEUTER
STUDY
“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.