“We know that many responsible pet owners understand the value of spaying and neutering their pets,” says Bill Bruce, director of Animal & Bylaw Services. “This program will remove the financial barriers for Calgary’s low income pet owners.”
The services provided by this program include free spay or neuter surgery for cats or dogs, a free six month pet licence and a microchip. By completing one application form, financially eligible pet owners can have all of their pets spayed or neutered.
To be eligible for this pet program, Calgary residents must be at least 18 years of age and have a total family household annual income that is no greater than 85 per cent of the Statistics Canada Low Income Cut Off (LICO).
Healthy cats and dogs are eligible for the no cost surgery performed in the Animal Services Centre Clinic which adjoins the Portland Street Animal Services Centre. Cats and dogs that are at least eight weeks old and weigh more than two pounds are also eligible for the surgery.
Calgarians can get more information about the program, their eligibility and their pets’ eligibility by visiting calgary.ca/animalservices and clicking on “no cost spay/neuter program” or by contacting 3-1-1.
Application forms can be picked up from the Animal Services Centre at 2201 Portland Street S.E. Monday to Friday between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. or Saturday and Sunday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. The Animal Services Centre is closed on statutory holidays.
Application forms can also be downloaded from calgary.ca/animalservices by clicking on “no cost spay/neuter program” or by calling 3-1-1 and asking to have an application form mailed.
Spay and neuter surgery helps to reduce the number of unwanted pets born every year in our city. Licensing together with spaying or neutering pets also helps to reduce the number of unclaimed and unwanted pets entering shelters every day.
Posts
How about if you can't afford the damn thing that you don't get the pet in the first place? Or, at least get one from the Humane Society where it'll be done as part of your low adoption fee.
ReplyDeleteWhy should I have to pay for others to have a pet? It's a privilege not a right.
We licensed our dog and just had him get "the big snip". It's expensive, yes. and it sure would've been nice to get it subsidized. We aren't low enough income to qualify, but neither does the $ not make a difference to our budget. But we knew this when we decided to get our pet.
Dear anonymous,
ReplyDeleteWhen I picked up my kitten 2 years ago, she was rescued from a farm that would have eventually just "let her go"
I fully intended to have her spayed as soon as she was the right weight, however I lost my job soon after. As much as a priority this kitten is in my life, other things have had to come first since as I struggle to keep my mortgage and student loan payments while working for significantly less than I used too.
Every time my cat goes into heat, my heart breaks for her because of the discomfort she is needlessly going through. I can tell you that I am not alone in needing a break like this and it will go a long way to ensuring the suffering of animals doesn't continue because people fall on hard times.
I rescued a dog from an abusive home about 4 months ago, and my children and I love her dearly and she loves us just as much!! We took her to our vet and she was dehydrated/malnourished and had parvo when we got her...all in all that vet bill alone just for saving an animal took me 3 months to pay off and like Anonymous above...I lost my job right around the same time it was paid in full!!
ReplyDeleteOur dog is now almost a year old and I want very much to spay her, but do not have the funds to do so. She now suffers from severe anxiety and separation disorders and will not be left with others than in our immediate family!! We love her so much and letting her go to another family would both devastate us and her!! I am also a single mom of 3 children (teens).
A program like this would benefit not so much just the owners who are low income but the pets who have been rescued and adopted by kind, loving souls who may have fallen on financial hard ships like a lot of other Albertans in the past few years!!
I believe that the term 'responsible pet owner' should not be determined by financial status alone!!
Our original plans in bringing this beautiful addition to our family, was to save her and help get her healthy again!! To recieve a bit of help in this should not be 'condemned' by one with more money!!