WeSNIP NEWS

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Burlington

The mobile spay/neuter crew (clockwise Kat, Dr. Karen, Zara, Patricia, and Jen) welcomed the new decade with anticipation of another productive year helping to stem the pet overpopulation in Whatcom and N. Skagit Counties. 3,200 surgeries have been performed from August 2008, when the mobile spay and neuter program began, to the end of 2009.

Kat and Dr. Karen - ready to start 2010

Bunny and David started registration in the lobby of the Skagit Valley Humane Society just outside Burlington.

The first dog registered was Zeto, who is a 2 year-old Stafford Bull Terrier/Boxer mix.  He was rescued and lives with quite a group of other rescues, including 2 mice, 3 cats, and .....

Indian Walking Bugs, Australian Leaf Bugs, 2 Zebra Finches, a Corn Snake,

an African Albino Pygmy Hedgehog, and Loach Fish. An amazing family from Kent rescued all of these from Craigslist. They drove 3 kitties and Zeto from Kent for surgeries.

Bunny and Patricia reviewed the registrations and welcomed Forest , a 9 week-old PitBull/Mastiff. He lives with Grace, a 2 year-old Chihuahua. Their family read about WeSNIP on Craigslist.

 Lyla, a 4 ½ month-old Boxer/Golden Lab mix, looked apprehensive.  She was adopted from a family who couldn’t afford to keep her any longer. Cute Buddy, a 2 year-old Shitzu/Yorkie mix, was brought by his Mom from Sedro Woolley. Buddy was her son’s Christmas gift.

Conny, a 2 ½ year-old Pit Bull, looked adorable with one ear up and the other down. She was a gift to her Dad from his kids. Sammie, the Dashound, came with his Mom. She read about the Spay Station in the Bellingham Herald newspaper.

Four month-old Tank, the Chihuahua/Dashound mix (Chiweenie), was brought by his Mom. He is from a litter of 3. The other 2 were tan colored and looked like Chihuahuas. His Mom read about the Station on Craigslist. Tank goes to work with his Mom and is the darling of all the customers, who bring him a multitude of treats. Zara stood at the top of the Station stairs, waiting for boarding to begin.

Bear, an 8 mo. Rotweiller/mix, was cuddled by his Dad and Mom. He was rescued at a Walmart parking lot. His family read about the Spay Station on Craigslist.

A cute pup, who had surgery the day before, was fitted with an “E” collar to help heal his surgery site by preventing persistent licking which can lead to swelling and infection.

Small dog boarding began with Forest at the head of the line. Patricia cuddled him and reviewed his registration with Kat.

Grace was kept snug and warm in her Dad’s coat and then was passed over to Kat for boarding.

Tank waited, looking apprehensive. Then, his Mom tenderly handed him to Kat.

Lyla waited patiently, and then walked up the stairs as her Dad, Kat, and Bunny looked on.

David spoke with a registrant waiting in his car as kitty boarding began.

Kat and Patricia checked registration sheets and a kitty waited in a carrier.

Another kitty looked out as more carriers were lined up for boarding.

Patricia arranged transport for little Jade from Blaine to Burlington. She was given her name because of her gorgeous green eyes. She ran gladly out of her carrier when she arrived at home later that afternoon.

Two kitties plotted their escape. After all the boarding, the Spay Station doors were closed and exams and surgeries were started.

Many thanks to David and Bunny for their early morning registrations.

Our wholehearted thanks goes to Pasado’s Safe Haven, who continues to provide WeSNIP with our wonderful mobile spay/neuter station.

In Pasado’s Safe Haven’s home base of Washington State alone, 60,000 healthy dogs, cats, kittens, and puppies are euthanized every year. No matter how many shelters attempt to adopt animals, there are simply not enough homes.

Pasado’s Mission: to "fill the voids left unanswered by other shelters."

Pasado’s doesn’t seek to replicate what other shelters already do and do well. Their Mission is to serve animals who "fall through the cracks." When it comes to pet overpopulation, it is the unwanted dogs, cats, and litters, born in low-income areas, who fill shelters.

When Pasado’s Safe Haven was founded, there were no free or low-cost pet sterilization services that brought spay/neuter surgeries directly into low-income neighborhoods. This was an enormous "void" that Pasado’s felt it had to address. Most unwanted animals originate in low-income areas yet, at the time, a cat spay was well over $100. "We needed to make pet sterilization available, easy, and above all free."

The Spay Station was Pasado's answer –- an expensive program but well worth it. While amazing donors built these mobile miracles, ongoing support from people like you keep them on the road. When they first launched The Spay Station I, their budget started at a quarter-million dollars a year, yet 71% of all of Pasado's surgeries were provided free-of-charge to the public.

No matter what the cost, it was critical to help those animals who never had the chance to visit a veterinary clinic. "We considered this vital program an investment in the future – less unwanted animals would be born, and ultimately euthanized at area shelters."

In 2007, after eight years on the road, The Spay Station I was sent south to assist Pierce County, Washington. Pierce County sadly faces the most strays, the most owner-relinquished animals, and the most shelter euthanasia. Working with an alliance of great, passionate people there, The Spay Station I is moving mountains to dramatically cut those numbers.

In 2008, Pasado’s spread the wealth of compassion northward, partnering with their original mobile clinic veterinarian, Dr. Karen Mueller, DVM. Together, free (or low-cost, income-dependent) pet sterilization moved into Skagit and Whatcom Counties. It’s been a remarkable success, based on the passion and energy of so many.

http://www.pasadosafehaven.org/spaystation_about.html