The presentation that was given to HRM City Council is available for download on the NS SPCA's website - you can view it at http://www.spcans.ca/news/documents/NSSPCA_SN_Solution_Presentation.pdf - and it's pretty impressive - they're saying that they can spay and neuter 8,000 animals a year charging the public between $50-$80 for spaying and neutering their animals - regardless of income level, and it sounds like they're planning on having 100% of animals in Nova Scotia sterilized - which scares the bejeezus out of me.
Some of the things they said in their presentation scared me to hell they sound so PETA like - like -
"only by spaying and neutering all companion animals, will we get a handle on pet overpopulation". (pg 9)
"pet overpopulation is at crisis levels" (pg 10)
When did the NS SPCA stop following Nathan Winograd's belief that pet overpopulation was a myth? When it became unmarketable?
Anyway, it is really important that a low cost spay and neuter clinic DOES happen - and it's fabulous that the NS SPCA is spearheading it - regardless of how they choose to spin it. If this is how they want to do it, then more power to them. We all know that there will always be companion animals out there for us to get - the people who tell us that the groups who are trying to kill every pet out there so that we don't have any pets any more at all - are never going to succeed - and low cost spay and neuter IS super important - and this is an initiative that is important to get behind. It's a very positive step for the NS SPCA. I hope it works out. Especially for the cats - because there are a lot of cats in this province who are suffering who don't need to.
And if you want to read the new Act - you can go to http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/legc/PDFs/annual%20statutes/2008%20Fall/c033.pdf
Heck, I wonder what happens to the diversity of the gene pool in - lets say 20 years.
ReplyDeleteOnce the diversity is lost, how you gonna get it back.
And, who will cover the vet bills from spay/neuter side effects.
Spay and neuter is great on a case by case evaluation, but if the goal is mass sterilization of every animal not part of the dog fancy, it will have consequences for the species.
I am talking about dogs, not cats, cause dogs are my expertise. As long as selling dogs is profitable, there will always be too many dogs and not enough good homes.
Puppy millers, brokers and lowlife who doesn't care how animals are treated will dodge a mandatory neuter law. Those people also don't care what they breed, while healthy and temperamentally sound dogs never get to keep those great genes going.
I agree with Silvia's point about the consequences of neutering all but purebreds. Since they are known to be prone to various congenital defects and illnesses, it would be very bad to confine breeding to only those dogs!
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