The campaign to be launched on Spay Day (February 23) will spay around eight to 10 street dogs per day and offers a 50 percent discount to individuals wanting to get their pets neutered. This is an expensive service with normally a regular charge of Rs 5000. [break]
Spaying, also called ovariohysterectomy, involves removing the uterus and ovaries of a female animal, preventing estrus or heat. It is the only way to prevent pregnancy in female dogs or cats.
Early age spaying, before the dog reaches her first heat cycle, can almost entirely eliminate the risk of certain cancers and infections. Waiting until after the first heat increases the risk significantly, and as much as 50 percent by the age of two, vets claim.
The health benefits are immense. Spaying before the first heat can nearly remove the risk of mammary tumors in female dogs and false pregnancies are eliminated, including all their resulting stress. Early spaying prevents ovarian and uterine tumors, uterine infections are also completely prevented and accidental pregnancies eliminated.
According to Kathmandu Animal Treatment (KAT) Center, which is participating in the campaign, behavioral benefits of spaying are that a spayed female is much more comfortable than her unaltered peers. By removing her hormone-producing ovaries, you also remove mood swings among female pets.
“There won´t be many male dogs then trying to break down your fence to reach her (female dog),” Prerna Rai Thami, the KAT communication officer, said.
KAT has said that the actual number of people coming for this service will depend on awareness of the benefits of the program. “We would like more people to pot for spaying. But this depends on media highlight of the program,” Thami said. She added that so far 1,500 street dogs have been sprayed by KAT this Nepali year.
Created by the Doris Day Animal League (DDAL) in 1995, Spay Day became a program of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) when DDAL combined operations with HSUS in 2006.
It is the first and only international day of action to promote neutering of pets. During Spay Day, veterinarians and their staff, animal welfare professionals, business owners and citizens join forces nationwide and around the world to provide spay/neuter services and promote spaying as an effective means of reducing euthanasia of homeless animals in shelters.
Dr Bidur Piya and Dr Prabin Thapa, in-house vets of KAT Center, an NGO, will conduct the program from private clinics including Kathmandu Veterinary Clinic, Maharajgunj, Pet Clinicare ´n´ Vet Consultancy, Baluwatar, Animal Care Clinic, Golfutaar, Animal Hospital and Research Center, Baneshwar, and Capital Mobile Vet Clinic, Chandol.
The campaign mission is to create a rabies-free, non-breeding, healthy street and community dog population through an Animal Birth Control (ABC) and anti-rabies vaccination program. Since May 2004, KAT has sterilized 6,880 dogs, preventing a further estimated 55,040 street puppies from being born in its working area.
akanshya@myrepublica.com
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