Twenty Dogs and Cats are a Colton Success Story

Twenty pets are now spayed and/or neutered and dozens received low-cost shots following a free spay and neuter clinic held Saturday, Jan. 24 at Elizabeth Davis Park. The first city-wide clinic of its kind, spay and neuter surgeries were offered free of charge to the first 20 Colton residents who submitted interest forms to the city. In all, 19 dogs and one cat were spayed or neutered on Saturday. It was a $5,000 grant donated to the cause by the nonprofit Shelter Transport Animal Rescue Team (START Rescue) that allowed the surgeries - at this and at future clinics - to be provided free of charge, explained Councilman David Toro, who helped organize the event. START Rescue made contact with Toro after Colton moved its animal control services contract from the city of San Bernardino to the city of Riverside. START Rescue works with the Riverside shelter to transport pets to approved shelters in Washington state, who help place the pets into homes. "We offered the first $5,000 to help get dogs and cats spayed and neutered in the hopes that this is something that can be done monthly," said START Rescue Founder Steve Spiro. High Desert-based Ark Animal Shelter provided the surgeries on Saturday as well as a low-cost shot clinic offering 5-in-1 vaccinations to prevent Distemper, Hepatitis (Adenovirus type 2), Parainfluenza, and Parvovirus; Bordetella vaccinations; and Rabies vaccinations. The presence of the shot clinic at the event helped bring in further attention to the event, Toro explained. "Word is getting out and people are extremely appreciative, and even somewhat important as well: they are people whose pets are not licensed; they are coming forward...to get the pets Rabies shots and licenses, which is another hurdle we are trying to overcome," said Toro. Of the 20 pets who underwent spay and neuter surgeries last weekend, only one of the pets was licensed, according to Toro. "Once people are able to get their pets Rabies shots and a spay and neuter certificate, they're able to go down to City Hall to get their pets a license," Toro said. Pets are not required to be spayed and neutered to be registered with the city, but they must have their Rabies vaccinations. For Colton residents to register their pets, the cost is $9 a year for spayed and neutered pets. Pets who have not been spayed or neutered may be registered with the city for $50 a year. "We want to work on a way for residents to pay (registration) monthly," said Toro. "We are doing everything we can to make it affordable to meet the city's requirements." But spay and neuter surgeries have been an issue of debate for many years. Anti-spay and anti-neuter groups, such as The Dog Place, a web-based pet publication, believe pet overpopulation is a myth and claim these surgeries are not only painful to animals, but are also cruel. "There is no overpopulation problem; hasn't been since the turn of the century," wrote The Dog Place Publisher Barbara J. Andrews. "The 'right thing to do' is fence your pet or be willing to walk him at least three times a day. Sad but true: castrated and spayed dogs still stray, annoy neighbors, or get hit by cars." But spay and neuter advocates say pet overpopulation is an existing issue, and say these surgeries can curb unwanted consequences of not having "fixed" pets. "I think it's a crucial key to ending the problem of unwanted pets. If you look at statistics, for every one unfixed female dog, in six years they produce something like 60,000 animals," Spiro said. The numbers are theoretical, but the average birth in dogs yields eight puppies a litter, according to the Wautauga Humane Society. Kristina Bratulina, who works with Ark Animal Shelter and volunteered her services at Saturday's event, felt spay and neuter surgeries reduced the risk of pets becoming loose or lost. "Altered pets are...far less likely to have the urge to roam away from home, which can often lead them to get lost, struck by a car, or worse." Spayed or not, in the case a pet is lost or gets loose, pet registration helps pet owners become reunited with their pets, according to Toro. Bratalina felt the event was a success, saying, "We spayed and neutered twenty pets at the event, and saw even more interest generated among the other pet owners that stopped by." Interest forms for the next upcoming event, which Toro said he hopes to hold in approximately four to six weeks, are now being taken. This time, the goal is to accommodate 25 pet owners in the city. Another hope, explained Toro, is that micro-chipping services will be offered at the second clinic. Those interested in the upcoming clinic may email Toro at davidtoro45@gmail.com for a clinic interest form, or you may pick up a form at Colton City Hall, 650 N. La Cadena Drive.