LAC LA BICHE - February is Spay and Neuter Awareness Month, and the Lac La Biche Regional Humane Society and Lac La Biche County have a partnership in place that picks up half the costs of spaying and neutering cats and dogs.
Jewels Hampshire, manager of the Lac La Biche Regional Humane Society, said the County developed the 50 per cent rebate program, which is also called SNIP, and is administered by the local animal shelter.
Through this initiative people can get three animals spayed and neutered each year.
According to Hampshire, pet owners in Lac La Biche County wanting to use the rebate program must make an appointment with a vet clinic, take their animals in for spaying and neutering, and pay the fees upfront.
Residents are eligible for the rebate but are required to fill out an application confirming they live in the municipality.
“Then they give us an application and the receipt, and they get reimbursed 50 per cent through the mail,” Hampshire told Lakeland This Week. “You have to live in Lac La Biche County, but then you can go to any vet.”
Hampshire explained the costs associated with spaying and neutering household pets varies. With dogs, she said, it depends on their weight.
“So, the bigger they are, the more expensive it is.”
Through the month of February, the Humane Society will have a booth set up inside the Bold Centre providing the public with information about the SNIP program, how they can apply, as well as the rules associated with it.
“So, it’s just information to help people know the right steps to take to be in this program,” she stated.
The Lac La Biche Regional Humane Society has been administering the SNIP program for the past four years.
The consequences of not getting animals spayed and neutered, Hampshire continued, can include health risks such as intestinal, ovary, and testicular cancers in dogs and cats.
According to Hampshire, the initiative has been effective at curbing the overpopulation of animals. Overpopulation, she added, makes the transmission of diseases easier, particularly in cats who live in colonies.
Fixing male dogs and cats is also crucial, as these animals tend to roam.
“Male cats can spray, and it’s a really bad smell,” she said.
A call to the Lakeland Veterinary Clinic indicates people in the area spend between $429 and $699 to spay female dogs, and $409-$599 to neuter male dogs, depending on weight. The cost of spaying a female cat is $329 and $269 to neuter a male cat.
