THE NEWEST WEAPON IN THE BATTLE TO REDUCE ANIMAL HOMELESSNESS

Delaware SPCA Announces New Efforts to Combat “Mt. Kitten” and Pit Bull Overpopulation with Special Discounts

STANTON, DE – February 23, 2010 – The Delaware Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Delaware SPCA), the oldest and most experienced animal welfare organization in the state, today unveiled its next weapon in the ongoing battle to reduce the homeless pet population across the state.

At an event scheduled in coordination with Spay Day USA (sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States to inspire people to save animals' lives by spaying or neutering pets,) Delaware First Lady Carla Markell and Delaware SPCA Board President Willard Crichton unveiled the Delaware SPCA’s new, custom-designed Spay/Neuter Transport Van.

During remarks made at a ceremony held at the Delaware SPCA’s Stanton facility, Mrs. Markell read a proclamation from Delaware Governor Jack Markell commending the Delaware SPCA for its efforts to combat animal homelessness through its commitment to spay/neuter.

Remarking that animal welfare is a cause close to her heart, she said, “Our family has grown so much from the love of the stray pets that have joined our home. There are still so many pets that need homes and help. This new transport van and the Delaware SPCA’s high volume clinic will help to control pet overpopulation in our state by eliminating unwanted litters and promoting spay/neuter as a positive contribution pet owners can make to both animal and human welfare.”

Decorated with large photos of cats and dogs on a background of Delaware SPCA yellows and greens, the van is a moving billboard reminding people that high-quality inexpensive spay/neuter services are available from Delaware SPCA regardless of where animals live in the state.

“The new Delaware SPCA Spay/Neuter Transport Van will allow us to increase access to affordable neutering services at our new high volume clinic in Stanton,” said Delaware SPCA Executive Director Anne Cavanaugh.  “This service gives us another way to raise awareness and remove obstacles to low-cost spay/neuter across Delaware.”

In September 2009, the Delaware SPCA opened the state’s first high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter clinic, modeled after a successful national program developed by Humane Alliance of Asheville, NC. When it reaches capacity, the Jane R. Haggard clinic will sterilize more than 7,200 animals each year, with a longer term goal of serving over 10,000 animals per year.

The Delaware SPCA transport program will facilitate access to affordable spay/neuter services statewide, serving pet owners, animal rescue groups and feral cat caretakers. The transport program will help the SPCA to specifically target problem areas, and allow more focus on addressing the pet overpopulation problem in Sussex County. While spay/neuter surgery will continue at the Delaware SPCA’s Georgetown shelter, transporting animals to the high volume clinic in Stanton will facilitate the organization’s plans to more than double the number of Sussex county animals it serves.

“We are working very hard through events such as this to get the word out that our clinic offers top-notch animal care provided by a licensed veterinarian trained specifically for spay and neuter surgeries – at an affordable price,” said Crichton. “We’ve ramped up our capacity in the first five months and we have room to grow – and this van will go a long way in helping us to meet our goals.”

“Mount Kitten” and Special Pit Bill Neutering Programs Announced

Cavanaugh also announced that the Delaware SPCA will offer $20 cat spay/neuter services for cats through March in order to combat seasonal over-breeding which creates a homeless cat problem known as “Mt. Kitten” each spring.

“This is a significant issue for our state – if we can sterilize cats, especially female cats early in the year we can prevent untold litters of homeless kittens during the late spring and early summer,” said Cavanaugh. “All animal welfare agencies struggle with the “mountain” of unwanted kittens that come to our doors every spring”.

Female cats can breed – from as early as the age of four months – three times a year and have an average of four kittens per litter. Female kittens (and puppies) can be spayed as early as 10 weeks of age as long as they weigh at least two pounds.

Delaware also struggles to find homes for the large number of pit bulls that end up in shelters, and to help address this issue the Delaware SPCA is offering to spay/neuter 100 pit bulls at no cost for City of Wilmington residents throughout the month of March.

Both of these free or low cost special neutering programs are made possible by funding from the William Schwartz Memorial Fund.

Getting Financial Assistance for Spay/Neuter

Delaware residents who are on public assistance (TANF, Medicaid, Food Stamps, General Assistance, WIC, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and/or Social Security Disability) can qualify for the State spay/neuter program under which pets can be sterilized for $20. Go to the Delaware Dept of Agriculture website: http://dda.delaware.gov, or ask for an application form at the Delaware SPCA.

Residents not receiving public assistance under one of the programs listed above may still be eligible for financial assistance. Contact the Delaware SPCA at 302-998-2281 for more information.