SACRAMENTO AREA ANIMAL COALITION
Contact: Jennifer Fearing

For Immediate Release
February 25, 2001

LOCAL GROUPS WORK TOGETHER TO SAVE ANIMAL LIVES TODAY AS PART OF NATIONAL SPAY DAY USA

SACRAMENTO - The Sacramento Area Animal Coalition (SAAC), in collaboration with local veterinarians, veterinary technicians and assistants, UC Davis veterinary medical students, shelter staff, rescue groups and other animal welfare volunteers, will perform nearly 100 free spay and neuter surgeries today to celebrate Spay Day USA 2001 - an annual nationwide effort to focus on preventing pet overpopulation.

SAAC is facilitating the free spay and neuter surgeries today at two Sacramento area locations - the Sacramento SPCA in Sacramento and All About Pets in Citrus Heights. Local animal rescue groups and several low income families will be the beneficiaries of this collaborative effort to put a dent in the pet overpopulation crisis.

"We look at pet overpopulation as a disease that has prevention, treatment and cure possibilities," said Mike Winters, executive director of the Sacramento SPCA. "This is a perfect example of how our community can work together to try and reach our goal for Sacrament - spaying and neutering as many animals as possible so that we can decrease the number of animals in our shelters and ultimately not have to euthanize so many unwanted pets."

Local and state governments are also heralding Spay Day and the message it promotes. The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors has passed a resolution recognizing Spay Day and Assemblywoman Virginia Strom-Martin (D-Duncans Mills) will introduce ACR 16 on the Assembly Floor on February 26th.

"Pet overpopulation is a serious issue because it effects the quality of life for all Californians," said Strom-Martin. "Cities and counties are constantly struggling with burgeoning pet populations, which place huge burdens on tight budgets, threaten public health and cause unnecessary suffering to thousands of animals each year."

In addition to the Spay Day efforts, many local veterinary clinics offer low-cost spays and neuters, including the Sacramento SPCA. Additional low-cost spay/neuter information is available at the SAAC website, www.sacanimal.org.

SAAC, formed in early 1999, is an umbrella organization composed of representatives from various Sacramento area groups and individuals interested in animal welfare. Our founding members include representatives from animal shelters (including Sacramento City and County shelters and the Sacramento SPCA) , animal rescue groups (both formal and informal), feral cat care-givers, foster home providers , veterinarians and veterinary animal welfare groups, breed rescue groups and individual animal welfare advocates and volunteers.

Spay Day USA, in its 7th year, is a project of the Doris Day Animal Foundation. Almost half a million animals have been altered in conjunction with Spay Day USA since its inception in 1995.

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