SPCA reopens Georgetown shelter's spay/neuter clinic

The Delaware Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the oldest and most experienced animal welfare organization in the state, has announced that it has hired a full-time veterinarian and will re-open its high-quality/high-volume spay/neuter clinic at its Georgetown Shelter Monday, May 13.

Dr. Rebecca Trejo will be on staff May 13 when the clinic reopens. She and the surgical team are experienced and highly skilled, having attended specialized training with Humane Alliance in Asheville, N.C. The clinic, which is designed to process more than 5,000 spay/neuter procedures annually, had closed temporarily in late 2012 when it lost its veterinarian.

“This is one of the most crucial times of the year for spay/neuter services,” said Chris Motoyoshi, director of development, Delaware SPCA. “Kittens as young as four months, and puppies as young as five, can go into heat and become pregnant. It’s these accidental litters that end up in animal shelters with no place to call home. We are thrilled that Dr. Trejo has joined our team and look forward to having the clinic up-and-running at full capacity.”

The Delaware SPCA, which can provide up to 10,000 spay/neuter surgeries annually across its two clinics, is the largest provider of spay/neuter services in the state and one of only 115 clinics nationwide that are members of the Humane Alliance National Spay/Neuter Response Team. Humane Alliance offers a nationally proven model for spay/neuter clinics that are designed to provide affordable, high-quality services while working to end the epidemic of euthanasia of unwanted pets.

As an added incentive, the Delaware SPCA ‘s Georgetown clinic is offering free microchips for all customers in the month of May.

A recent grant from the PetSmart Charities’ national “Did You Know?” campaign will help to further educate pet owners and the public about how prevalent pregnancy is among young animals and bring additional affordable pediatric spay/neuter payment options to Delawareans.

“This June we will be offering spay/neuter surgeries for puppies and kittens under six months of age for just $20 each in partnership with PetSmart Charities,” said Motoyoshi. “These funds will help prevent potentially thousands of unwanted offspring from becoming homeless.”

Puppies must weigh five pounds, male kittens must weigh two pounds, and female kittens must weigh three pounds.

While some pet owners may worry that their pet is too young for this procedure, spaying and neutering is safe and easy for kittens and puppies as young as 10 weeks old, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

In addition to the PetSmart Charities funds, Delaware SPCA also accepts State of Delaware $20 spay/neuter vouchers, which are not limited to the age of the pet. These vouchers are available to any state resident who receives public assistance.

According to Bob Harrison of Just Us Cat & Kitten Rescue in Rehoboth, the re-opening of the Delaware SPCA’s spay/neuter clinic is tremendously beneficial to animals and people alike.

“The clinic is a huge boon for this community. It is convenient for drop-off and pick-up, it is less stressful for the animals because they don’t need to be transported to another facility, and it is one of the very few low cost options in Sussex County for spay/neuter services,” said Harrison. “Very few veterinarians in this part of the state accept the state vouchers, so this clinic is very important to us.”

Go to www.delspca.org and www.humanealliance.org for more information, or call 302-856-6361 to schedule an appointment.