Rommie the cat

from the Humane Society of So. Ariz. press release

From July – Dec. 2010 more than 20,000 homeless pets have made their way to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona and Pima Animal Care Center. That number is expected to reach 40,000 within the year.

Pet owners can do their part to ensure that correlating euthanasia numbers don’t continue to climb by responsibly spaying or neutering their pets. In honor of National Prevent a Litter Month, the Humane Society of Southern Arizona (HSSA) will perform dozens of free spay and neuter surgeries Feb. 15, 17 and 22 at its clinic.

Although free spots have been filled, HSSA’s Low-cost Spay and Neuter Clinic encourages people to make an appointment to have their pet sterilized as soon as possible to thwart unwanted litters. Spay and neuter services range from $35 to $135 at HSSA, which performs thousands of these invaluable surgeries every year.

The Humane Society of Southern Arizona is pleased to report that the number of people bringing in their pets for sterilization surgery has increased – 6,635 since July, which is up from 5,410 this time last year.

For those interested in helping to battle pet overpopulation, the HSSA has a Lifesavers Spay and Neuter Fund, which provides the community with low-cost and free spay and neuter days. Find out how you can help.

In addition to providing low-cost spay and neuter surgeries, HSSA offers affordable vaccinations. As an essential component of your pet’s health and well being, vaccinations are your best line of defense against the everyday presence of deadly diseases and viruses.

In an effort to make basic health care for pets accessible, convenient and affordable, HSSA offers regular vaccination clinics throughout southern Arizona. In 2010, HSSA was pleased to receive an increase in the number of animals brought in for vaccinations – 8,145.

For these animals, HSSA veterinarians administered 12,863 vaccines. This represents a 6.3% increase over the previous year.

For dogs, the Humane Society offers DA2PPV (distemper / parvo / upper respiratory), INB Bordetella (kennel cough), and Rabies vaccinations. For cats, FVRCP (distemper / upper respiratory combination), Feline Leukemia, and Rabies vaccinations are available.

For a description and schedule of recommended dog and cat vaccinations, visit the Humane Society of Southern Arizona’s web page at www.hssaz.org and click on the Animal Services tab.

HSSA also offers microchip identification, de-worming treatment, Heartworm/Tick Fever/ Lyme Disease testing, and Feline Leukemia/Feline Immunodeficiency Virus testing. You can bring your pet in for these services every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at the HSSA Companions for Life Center located at 3465 E. Kleindale Rd., two blocks north of Ft. Lowell Road between Country Club and Dodge (right around the corner from the main shelter). For times, call 881.0321.

For those on the east side of town, the Humane Society offers monthly clinics at Taylor Tack and Feed. Clinic staff also visit Douglas (AZ) each month for a vaccination and spay/neuter clinic. All clinics accept cash, checks and credit/debit cards.

As a pet owner you have the responsibility to protect your furry family members from the ever-present risk of disease and from contributing to an already saturated market of excess animals.

For more information call the Humane Society of Southern Arizona clinic at (520)881-0321, or visit the website.

(Photo is courtesy of Linda and Bob Berzok of their cat Rommie.)