Spay Day Sacramento 2011

More than 700 pets spayed and neutered on 12th annual Spay Day event

The Sacramento Area Animal Coalition (SAAC), a non-profit organization committed to animal population control, collaborated with veterinarians, shelter employees and volunteers to spay and neuter more than 700 dogs and cats through the 12th annual Spay Day Sacramento on March 6, 2011.

Kathy Herring of Citrus Heights had two dogs
altered at the Sacramento County Shelter.

Spay Day Sacramento is the largest one-day spay/neuter event in the nation. It helps families in need alter their pets at a significant discount, thanks to generous donations from area residents and sponsors, and keeps unwanted animals out of shelters that are already overwhelmed by budget cuts and increasing numbers of owners who are surrendering pets due to foreclosure and other economic woes.

“More than twenty thousand dogs and cats are killed in Sacramento area shelters every year because there are not enough homes for them all,” said Sacramento Area Animal Coalition President Shannon Asquith. “Through Spay Day, we can reduce the number of unwanted dogs and cats entering our shelters and help people who are struggling financially get vital health care for their pets.”

Spay Day participants receive approximately $250 dollars worth of services per animal, including the spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations, microchip identification and flea preventive. Services are donated by veterinary clinics and shelters across the region and paid for through sponsorships and private donations.

Alicia Rice of Rancho Cordova picks
up Lola from the Sacramento SPCA

“Thanks to tremendous community support, the Sacramento Area Animal Coalition has altered more than six thousand animals in twelve years on Spay Day, preventing the births of millions of animals and relieving our already overcrowded shelters,” said Asquith.

Spaying and neutering can also improve animal behavior and reduce health problems. “The risk for certain cancers and other disease drops dramatically or disappears with spay/neuter,” Asquith says. “Research shows that altered pets are happier, healthier and behave better.”

Spay Day surgeries took place at 18 separate locations in Sacramento and Yolo Counties, including 13 veterinary clinics, 4 animal shelters and the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

The Sacramento Area Animal Coalition (SAAC) is still accepting donations to offset the costs of Spay Day 2011. SAAC is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization, and 99 percent of donations go directly to its low-cost spay/neuter programs.

 

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