I recently had the stressful and costly experience of trying to help an injured cat that had been roaming through a western communities neighborhood for several months. He was not neutered and did not have a tattoo or chip, so it’s impossible to know where he came from. He was not stranger friendly and had to be trapped. Had he or his mother and father been neutered or spayed, he would not have ended up as one of thousands of cats uncared for roaming through the county, subject to injury and death from cars, dogs and cat-hating residents. He may have been chased from his home by the many dogs allowed to roam freely.
There is a simple action that every responsible person who decides to get a dog or cat can do to prevent needless suffering to animals: spay or neuter your pet. It will also prevent possible heartache to your child by losing a beloved pet, because a sterilized dog or cat is less likely to escape from or wander from your home, seeking to mate, but falling victim to tragedy, never to return.
If you can’t afford a full-cost veterinarian, seek out free or low-cost services. According to its web site, Peggy Adams Animal Rescue, in conjunction with Palm Beach County, approved a Countdown to Zero initiative, which has funding to offer free trap, neuter, vaccinate and return for community cats and domestic cat packages in several zip codes, including 33411. They also have programs to loan traps or people who can help you trap the cats humanely for sterilization and vaccination services. They also state on the web site that they have funding to provide free services for pit bulls and pit mixes. Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control also has spay, neuter and vaccination programs available for residents on public assistance.
Feb. 28 is World Spay Day, an annual campaign of the Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society International and the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association. World Spay Day shines a spotlight on the power of affordable, accessible spay/neuter to save the lives of companion animals, feral and stray cats and street dogs who might otherwise be put down in shelters or killed on the street.
Pet owners with unspayed animals hold the key to preventing and ending the tragedy of pet overpopulation. If you have a friend, neighbor or family member with an unsterilized pet, please provide them with education on spay/neuter, and if applicable, information on where to find free and low cost programs.
Debbie Lewis, Royal Palm Beach
