| A Responsible Act |
| The city of St. Louis wanted to get residents’ pets spayed and neutered, but it appears there is more resistance to the idea than anyone would have thought.
The St. Louis Dispatch reports disappointing results from the city’s first mobile spay/neuter hospital. Dr. Philip Wagenknecht, a veterinarian with the St. Louis Pet Clinic, tells the Dispatch that people don’t want to have the surgery performed on their pets. The three-month, $88,000 pilot program is a joint effort of Stop Pet Overpopulation Today, a coalition of area animal-welfare organizations, and the Health Department. The goal was to spay or neuter 600 dogs and cats but the city’s animal control center predicts only half that number will be reached when the program ends before Christmas. Officials think pet owners have the attitude that the surgery isn’t really necessary. As part of this campaign, the procedures are performed inside a leased surgical van. Officials hope that the effort will continue if the mobile program ends, by offering a shuttle service for the dog or cat to have the surgery performed at a nearby clinic and then returned to its home. The operation costs $25 and includes the surgery, a rabies shot, and a city license. Findfido.com wonders why those who care about animals don’t think about the tragedy of pet overpopulation and the unnecessary suffering it causes. |
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