Pensioners and low income earners within the Bathurst local government area will be able to take advantage of a pet de-sexing program from June 4 to 15.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It’s an initiative that the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) and Bathurst Regional Council introduced over a decade ago and Stewart Street Veterinary Hospital has been a big supporter of the program.
The program provides a chance for local pet owners to prevent unwanted cat and dog pregnancies and births according to Stewart Street Veterinary Hospital’s Ann-Maree Shearer.
“We’ve been doing this program in conjunction with the RSPCA and Bathurst Regional Council for over a decade and over the past decade we’ve seen the amount of abandon and unwanted pets diminished,” she said.
“At one stage we were putting down over five dogs a day, which was really sad. Now we’re only putting down two to three a week.
“With de-sexing, we’ve seen a massive decrease in unwanted pregnancies and births.”
There are also educational classes that come along with the pet de-sexing, which puts an emphasis on pet ownership and responsibility.
Across the entire de-sexing program, Stewart Street will de-sex roughly 70 dogs
“This is a program that we run two to three times a year,” Ms Shearer said.
“This is one of the best programs that I’ve been a part of.
“I can’t speak highly enough of the work RSPCA and council do to run this program.
“We used to get pets being dumped but that’s something we don’t hear much of any more.
“It’s lowered the rate of strays, abandoned and unwanted litters.”
Stewart Street Veterinary Hospital (6331 1222), alongside Durham Street Veterinary Clinic (6334 2009), Dr Tom’s Veterinary Practice (6332 3222) and Bathurst Veterinary Hospital (6332 5800) are the four Bathurst veterinary clinics that participant in the de-sexing program.
The program provides a subsidised cost for the de-sexing of both cats and dogs
Places are strictly limited and bookings are essential if pet owners don’t want to miss out.