LAST week Tuesday, February 25, was World Spay Day, and an initiative from the Camdeboo Veterinary Clinic (CVC) in Graaff-Reinet led to 22 dogs and 10 cats being spayed or neutered.
World Spay Day annually aims at decreasing stray pet populations by increasing awareness of the importance of spaying and neutering programs.
Around the world, a variety of effective programmes reduce stray populations. These programmes target both strays in neighbourhoods and in shelters.
Working with local animal welfare group Camdeboo Sterilisation Initiative (CSI) and the Graaff-Reinet SPCA, 30 unsterilised township pets were identified for the programme, and were collected by volunteers on the day.
The CSI volunteers also managed to trap two female feral cats from the population in the Bergendal area, both of which were spayed.
Half of the total cost of almost R15 000 was sponsored by the vets, with a R5 000 donation from Montego Pet Nutrition covering a large part of the balance. Private donors picked up the tab to cover the rest of the cost.
Montego also donated 30 bags of dog food, so the sterilised pets were able to be returned to their owners with a very welcome bag of food.
The aftercare of the animals has been supervised by the welfare organisations.
Pet owners were educated on how to care for the animals after anaesthetic and the need to keep the wounds clean, and staff and volunteers from the SPCA and CSI will ensure that the stitches are taken out after 10 days.
An unexpected bonus for the CSI volunteers was the offer of a home for the feral kitten, which has since been adopted.
