Many small animal welfare organizations provide spay/neither assistance out of their tiny budgets, but not the $20 million BC SPCA.

Our investigation question was for financial assistance to spay a large female Rottweiller/shepherd cross and for stray cat and kittens abandoned in the neighbourhood so that they need not be surrendered to the SPCA.

1. 100 Mile House: 250-395-5303: No shelter or staff. Difficult to reach

2. Abbotsford: 604-850-1584: Almost never answers the phone
None. Phone vets, Aid to Animals In Distress, and SANS. Cats must be surrendered. Asked for a donation.

3. Burnaby: 604-291-7201
None. Phone Vancouver SPCA clinic for dog. Cats must be surrendered.

4. Campbell River: 250--286-6131
None

5. Chilliwack: 604-823-6612: Answering machine only: hard to reach

6. Courtenay (Comox Valley and District): 250-339-7722
No help for the dog. Will take kittens, Mom cat must be surrendered and they will spay and adopt cat back to the person who surrendered it for $100.

7. Coquitlam: 604-942-4510
None. Phone Vancouver SPCA clinic for dog. Cats must be surrendered.

8. Cranbrook (East Kootenay): 250-426-6751
None.

9. Dawson Creek (South Peace): 250-782-2444
No financial assistance. They are full. we were told, regretfully, to take the cat and kittens to a vet to be euthanized.

10. Delta: 604-946-7848
None. Phone Vancouver SPCA clinic for dog. Cats must be surrendered.

11. Duncan (Cowichan and District): 250-746-4646
No financial assistance, No money from Head Office. Local SNIP program ran out of funds in 2 weeks.

12. Fort St. John (North Peace): 250-785-7722

13. Grand Forks (Boundary): 250-442-5858
None.

14. Kamloops : 250-376-7722
There is some spay/neuter assistance through a program run jointly by the SPCA and the local veterinarians. $63. of the adoption fee is paid for by this program.

15. Kelowna: 250-861-7722
If annual income is less than $25,000, can apply for financial assistance. It takes about one month for this certificate to be processed.

16. Kitimat: 250-632-7373
No financial assistance for the dog, not even certificates which it used to have. Can surrender the cat and adopt back for $100.

17. Maple Ridge: 604-463-9511
Can't help. Phone SPCA head Office at 681-7271. For cats, phone Katy's Place to get the Mom spayed. They will take kittens at 8 weeks.

18. Nanaimo: 250-758-8444
Will spay the dog for $105.00 (this is about 1/2 price). Kittens will be sterilized at 8 weeks and the Mom cat will be spayed for free and returned.

19. Nelson: 250-352-7178: No shelter, no staff, all volunteer, will phone back.
No assistance, but the SPCA will put the dog and cat through their vet so that it is less expensive. Will take the kittens.

20. Parksville/Qualicum: 250-248-3811
Can apply for assistance for dog and cat spay. No details.

21. Penticton (Okanagan/Similkameen): 250-493-0136
No help of any kind. " We don't have any funds to help anyone. Try the Okanagan Humane Society in Oyama" (didn't have the number).

22. Port Alberni: 250-723-5269
No assistance to spay the dog. Cut backs to staff and programs. Used to have SNAP but no more funding.Will take cat and kittens and adopt the cat back to person for $75.00

23. Powell River 604-483-3506: Answering machine only.
There is some financial assistance available.

24. Prince George (North Cariboo): 250-562-5511
No assistance at all. PAL Program taken out of budget. $40 to surrender the cat and kittens.

25. Prince Rupert: 250-624-2859
No assistance, ask vets. Surrender the cat and kittens, can adopt the cat for $110.00

26. Queen Charlottes: 250-559-8439 This is someone's home, and she acts as the only foster home.
They provide a certificate for partial payment at the vets, "because, provincially, they are offering SO little in the way of spay/neuter funds."

27. Quesnel: 250-992-7722
No assistance at all. Head Office was going to close the branch because it got so few donations, but City of Quesnel made a grant to keep it open.

28. Richmond: 604-277-6212
Phone the Vancouver SPC A clinic or vets. Surrender the cat and kittens at 8 weeks. Adopting the cat back would cost $110.00

29. Salmon Arm (Shuswap): 250- 832-7376:
Won't accept. Are full, and have upper respiratory infections among the cats. They have no financial assistance for spaying the mom cat. Can apply to Okanagan Humane Society for financial assistance.

30. Salt Spring Island: 250-537-1442: Takes cats only
Might have some financial assistance for the dog but best to talk to vets about a payment plan. Will take cat and kittens and the cat can be adopted back for $90.00.

31. Sechelt (Sunshine Coast): 604-740-0301
Funds for assistance have run out. Ask vets for a discount. Get assistance for cats from Happy Cat Haven in Gibsons.

32. Squamish Valley: 604-898-9890
None.Phone vets for discounts for dog. Surrender cats.

33. Surrey: 604-597-5655
Surrey has no help. Phone Vancouver SPCA clinic or Aid to Animals In Distress, or Pets In Need, both organizations are in North Vancouver and have been doing the SPCA's work for decades.

34. Trail: 250-368-5910
No assistance. Will take kittens.

35. Vancouver: 604-879-7721
SPCA clinic offers cheaper rates than most vets, but it offers no financial assistance otherwise.

36. Vernon: 250-549-7297
No financial assistance. Can pick up assistance forms for the Okanagan Humane Society.

37. Victoria: 250-388-7722
Must talk to Penny (very difficult to reach Penny). There might be some assistance available.

38. West Vancouver: 604-922-4622
No financial assistance. Suggested going to the Vancouver SPCA clinic, which is cheaper.

39. Williams Lake: 250-392-2179
No assistance.