SEQUIM — Thanks to a donation to the Peninsula Friends of Animals, owners of 11 pets were able to take advantage of a spay/neuter clinic. PFOA sponsored the free clinic for low-income pet guardians who have been waiting on Spay To Save’s List.
Spay To Save, whose mission is “to end homelessness, suffering and killing of dogs and cats by providing high quality, accessible and affordable, spay and neuter resources to the Olympic Peninsula,” is unable to use the organization’s mobile unit because of COVID-19 triggered physical distancing restrictions.
The group has a large backlog of clients waiting for this service who couldn’t afford it otherwise, PFOA executive director Danette Grady noted.
Nancy Fuller of Spay to Save said the organization is hoping to be able to use the mobile unit — a veterinary hospital van that was originally used to offer services during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 — when Clallam County moves into Phase 3 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s Safe Start plan.
“We’ll (still) have to cut the number of people in the van and the number of spays and neuters,” Fuller said.
Since 2009 Spay to Save has sought to provide low-cost mobile spay/neuter services. According to the organizations’ website, shelter intake of puppies and kittens in Clallam County dropped 53 percent between 2012-2017. In that same time frame, Spay to Save performed 4,658 procedures.
In an average year, Spay to Save mobile unit staff are able to perform 1,000 spays and neuters, Fuller said.
On Sept. 30, 11 pets — five male and five female dogs, along with a male cat — received spay/neuter services and shots at Sequim Animal Hospital.
“This was one of our best,” PFOA clinic coordinator Sharon Palmer said.
For more about Spay to Save, visit spaytosave.org, call 360-818-9599 or email to nancy@spaytosave.org.
For more information about PFOA, see safehaven pfoa.org.
