To make it easier for people to get their animals spayed/neutered there are a few free, low cost and mobile clinics.
A little over a week ago, my vet recommended it was time for Merlin to visit one of these mobile clinics. One was conveniently scheduled regularly at a nearby neighborhood. A call the day before resulted me an appointment for Merlin, which meant I had to walk Isaac earlier than usual to make the scheduled time. Isaac loved the early morning air, and Merlin had no clue how this day was going to change the rest of his life.
When I arrived, there was a small crowd lined up all for the same time. The clinic took in all the animals first thing in the morning and then performed the surgeries one after the other. We were to be called when our pet was ready to be picked up in the afternoon.
This particular mobile clinic offered both free and fee services. If a person could show their income was below a certain amount, they could receive the services for free, otherwise it was $100. As I waited my turn in line, a woman ahead of me was explaining that she had rescued her two cats from an area near her home and she didn't have the heart to take them to the pound because she was afraid they would be euthanized. She had tried one local shelter, but they wanted an intake fee which she couldn't afford. Her daughter convinced her that these cats had chosen their family, so they must keep them. They had all quickly become very attached to these furry little angels so she was at the clinic to have them fixed.
Unfortunately, the intake technician informed her that her income was $1000 over the limit for free services and she would have to pay the $100 per cat. She kept attempting to explain that she didn't have that much money. Even though her income appeared to be above what they considered the "low income" level, she was struggling to pay her bills. She wanted to do the right thing for these cats. No amount of tears or begging would change the technician's mind. He was following the rules and he couldn't budge.
Fortunately, someone hearing this story stepped up and paid the fee for her two cats surgery. Some might argue that if she couldn't pay the surgical fee she shouldn't have the cats, whereas others would say she was showing great love for these animals by taking them in and attempting to do what was in their best interests. Regardless of outside opinions, this woman was following her heart and doing what she felt strongly was the right decision for her life and her family.
The mandatory spay/neuter law has become controversial. One reason is the cost. Many people are struggling to meet their financial obligations, and being forced to make a choice between paying their utilities or groceries or use that $100 to spay/neuter their animal feels like a losing proposition either way. County vets are supposed to report any animal that is brought in intact unless provided proof that the animal meets one of the exemptions. It is believed that many intact pets fail to get the vet care they may need because of the fear of the consequences. Granted, there are those that will ignore any law or refuse to get their pet spay/neutered for a variety of reasons, however, for those that are showing up to do the right thing and are struggling financially, there must be some leeway. The inflexibility this woman was facing could have resulted with these two cats contributing later on to the pet overpopulation.
I'm in support of humanely reducing the number of pets that roam our streets and fill our shelters, living limited life spans without being part of a loving family. Responsible spay/neutering is one way. Taking the time to consider how financially difficult it is for many families at this time; and being humane in the treatment towards those who show up attempting to do the right thing, is also important. We must look at the consequences we create, when we draw such a hard line decision and refuse to consider alternatives.
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