But How Did We Get into This Mess?

There’s a pretty simple answer to that queston. Local governments, who are responsible for animal control, have ignored cats for decades. Dog control is mandated by states, but not cat control. Judging from the laws some localities have made, this could be a blessing! The result, however, is that the problem has gotten so out of control that individuals have taken matters into their own hands. Grass-roots groups have grown up in every part of the country dedicated to rescuing cats living on the streets. At the same time, the population is already so out of control that, no matter how we run our programs, there are so many unspayed cats out there that we just can’t keep up. If we could sterilize just 70% of the cats out there now, the overpopulation problem would solve itself. The shelters, in turn, could use their space for animals who have to be given up by owners--a problem in itself-- and not just the unwanted overproduction of cats belonging to irresponsible or economically disadvantaged people, and the rescuers could take up the slack.


The simple answer to the problem is to "fix" as many cats and dogs as possible, so that we produce as few kittens and puppies as we can. Here's the rub: about 80% of the pets belonging to middle and upper income Americans are already neutered. But only 20% of lower-income families have altered their pets. Surveys show no difference in the percentage of those who desire to alter their pets; the difference is in which group actually DOES it. Statistically speaking, the number of offspring produced by pets belonging to low income families, alone, is enough to cause the entire pet overpopulation problem. That's where we have to look for the solution. Low-income families simply can't afford to pay $100 and up (prices as high as $400 have been quoted to us) to alter their pets.

"But wait!" some veterinarians will say. "If they don't alter their pets, they are being irresponsible. And people who can't afford pets shouldn't have them." Many of us who CAN afford to take care of our pets responsibly would agree. But without getting into arguments about the human-animal bond and the quality that pets add to one's life, I will say simply this: The fact is that poor people DO have pets, and there is no way to prevent that, even if we wanted to. So let's deal with the reality. How do we get low-income pet owners to have their pets spayed or neutered? We need to do outreach and education; but first of all, we have to have a place for them to go where they can afford it.

The Spay and Neuter Syracuse (SANS) Clinic opened in November of 2005, with a $16,300 grant from the Central New York Community Foundation. Our business plan was simple: do all procedures at cost, and include the examination, flea treatment, vaccines and claw clipping (for non-feral cats)--procedures needed by animals who have never been to a vet and might never see one again. As I write this, in June of 2008, we have altered more than 3000 pets, barn cats, and feral cats. Because we do everything at cost, which includes salaries, utilities, and all medical supplies, we have had to raise our fees several times over the years. The current fees are $60 for a male cat, $75 for a female cat, and $80 and up for dogs. In order to qualify, owners have to be on some sort of public assistance, or the animals have to be from a shelter or rescue organization. Feral cats, who technically don't have owners, also qualify. Tests for Feline Leukemia or Feline AIDS, otherwise known as FIV, cost $15 extra.

There are other low-cost programs around. Friends of Animals is the oldest and best established. People purchase certificates to have their pets altered at low rates. Sadly, the certificate only pays for the surgery, itself. Many vets add extra charges, such as the exam, vaccines, blood tests, even pain medication. Many other vets refuse to take them at all, in part because they are supposed to be for low-income pet owners, but no screening is done. They also have to pay $10 of their fee to Friends of Animals. Anyone thinking of using a FOA certificate should check with their veterinarian to find out if the certificate will be accepted, and what the total cost might be.

Shelter Outreach Services is the program that inspired SANS. This ingenous, MASH-style program, where the "hospital" actually moves from place to place, was started by Dr. Leslie Appel. Her staff goes to several different parts of Central New York, most often setting up at a shelter. Local rescue groups bring their animals, and those of the low-income public to be altered. Like SANS, fees are based on the actual costs of the procedures. The closest site, I believe, is in Cortland. Surgeries should be arranged through the CNY Cat Coalition. Call 1-800-289-CATS or visit their website at http://www.cnycatcoalition.org/.

The largest program, by far, is run by Spring Farm C.A.R.E.S. in Clinton, NY. They subsidize spay/neuter surgeries for residents of Oneida County (only) and will often help local shelters as well. They also have a feral cat program, where people can bring feral (wild) cats and barn cats and have them altered at no charge at all. Needless to say, they depend heavily on donations to continue this work, but they have altered more than 100,000 animals in the past few years. Visit their website at http://www.springfarmcares.org/.

If you know of any other low-cost programs, please email me at catresq@twcny.rr.com and I'll add them to this blog, and to our wiki: Straycatsdiary@wikispaces.com.


The question obviously arides, "If spay/neuter is so important and successful, how come we still have such a huge problem?" A quick history lesson should answer that question. In the "bad old days," animals who were taken to shelters were routinely euthaized just to make room for the next batch. An estimated 15,000,000 animals a year died that way. The number peaked in the 1970's, and has fallen steadily ever since. We now euthanize about 4-5 million animals each year. Yes, it's still far too many, and this reflects a shift to "limited admission" shelters, where animals are not euthanized to make space, but newcomers may turned away when the shelters are full. No one, as far as I know, has tracked what happens to them. The "Kill" vs. "No-Kill" philosophy is one of the biggest hurdles to solving this problem, because it keeps so many of us from working together. Actually, it's not the difference in philosophy that is the hurdle; it's our attitudes toward one another.