Just in time to kick off February’s National Spay/Neuter Awareness Month, Woods Humane Society’s two spay/neuter clinic locations are again open at full capacity to appointments for publicly owned pets.
Preventive Care During a Pandemic
Our clinics return to full capacity for public appointments after the most recent state-mandated restrictions to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic were lifted on January 25, 2021.
“We are grateful to be able to safely reopen our online scheduling module for our community to schedule affordable sterilization surgeries for their owned pet cats or dogs, especially before we get into the warmer months,” says Dr. Leslie Sklena, DVM, Director of Veterinary Medicine, noting that unaltered roaming pets begin to reproduce in the spring, and “kitten season” typically begins in March.
“The timing is also crucial as many families may be economically impacted by the pandemic and in need of more affordable veterinary health and preventive care options. Woods is honored to be able to continue to serve the community in this way and fulfill its mission to manage the local pet population, while protecting the safety of our staff and the public.”
Our clinics have pivoted to an outdoor, curbside, masked pick-up and drop-off protocol, among other precautions, to protect all parties and to remain compliant with all mandated safety and social-distancing protocols.
The Many Benefits of Spaying and Neutering
Dr. Sklena explains that dogs and cats that do not get altered can have multiple litters per year, rapidly contributing to the number of homeless animals in our county. For this reason, Woods spays or neuters all animals in its adoption program prior to making them available for adoption.
Even amid the challenges of 2020, Woods Humane Society was able to perform 4,870 spay/neuter surgeries last year, for animals in its own adoption program, as well as for SLO County Animal Services Division and for public pet owners and local animal rescues.
Altered animals, she notes, recover quickly from the surgery and receive many health and behavioral benefits over the course of their lives, including reduced roaming and territorial behaviors, lowered risk for certain cancers and diseases, and increased life expectancy.
Try our “Myth-Busters” Quiz to learn about some of the myths and misunderstandings surrounding sterilization surgeries!
For information about scheduling a spay or neuter surgery for owned pets, please visit SpaySLOCounty.org.
