Pet Prevent a Litter (PALS) of Central Texas Doubles Spay Day Goal

San Marcos, TX, February 29, 2008 – Pet Prevent a Litter (PALS) of Central Texas has sponsored Spay Day events which began February 25 and will continue through March 17. The goal was to sterilize 150 cats and dogs from Central Texas; however, due to an enormous public need, over 300 animals will be spayed and neutered by the project’s completion.

Vanessa Medrano with Bart and Lisa

On Tuesday, February 19, Spay Day proclamations were issued by the cities of San Marcos, Kyle, and Lockhart, as well as the Hays County Commissioners. Mayor Susan Narvaiz read the following from the proclamation at the San Marcos City Hall, “The San Marcos Animal Services Department sheltered 12,566 animals from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2007, demonstrating the significant need to reduce the number of unwanted pets in our community.” Well aware of that need, PALS has stepped up to help.

The Spay Day event was officially launched on Monday, February 25 with a clinic in Lockhart. Teaming together with Cause for Paws, appointments were scheduled for a fully-booked emanciPET mobile clinic. With need exceeding capacity, yet unable to turn anyone away, overflow animals requiring sterilization surgeries were accepted at a local veterinarian. In all 52 animals were fixed.

The success continued on Wednesday, February 27, as PALS worked collaboratively with Mutt Strutt and San Marcos Animal Services with two separate clinics held at the San Marcos Animal Shelter. Though originally scheduled to be exclusively for cats, several dogs were accepted and 80 total animals received sterilization surgeries. “We see the need out there to reduce unwanted animals,” notes Bert Stratemann, Animal Services Manager for the San Marcos Animal Shelter. “By having this Spay Day it helps reduce the number of unwanted and stray animals that we have to pick up every day and bring into the shelter.” The national average for a shelter to handle a homeless animal is $176. At approximately $46 to spay or neuter, not only is it a more compassionate way to control animal populations, but also a huge taxpayer savings. 

Over the next two weeks an additional 100 dogs and 35 cats will be sterilized thanks to seven area participating veterinarians.  The Spay Day blitz will end on Monday, March 17 with another mobile clinic in Lockhart, where an estimated 45 additional animals will be fixed.

While completely free to those in need, the Spay Day surgeries themselves are paid for by the PALS organization, with some of the spays and neuters subsidized by Cause for Paws, Mutt Strutt and San Marcos Animal Services. Assistance is needed to continue be able to provide these services to others throughout the year. PALS is also the host organization for PET FEST, a celebration of pets held every fall in San Marcos. Anyone who wishes to help be a part of the solution to pet overpopulation should call 512-392-9749 or e-mail PAL@preventalitter.com to volunteer or make a donation.

The mission of the Pet Prevent a Litter (PALS) of Central Texas, a non-profit corporation, is to help end pet overpopulation and pet homelessness. PALS is dedicated to promoting responsible pet care through community education and spay/neuter programs for those in need. Volunteers, members, and donors are needed.

It costs taxpayers as much as $176 to impound, house, and destroy a homeless pet through the Texas shelter system. On average, $40-$80 will spay or neuter the same pet. When you consider that an unspayed cat can give birth to 18 kittens each year and an unspayed dog can give birth to 20 puppies each year, and that the average cost for shelters to handle each homeless animal is $176, it's clear that Spay Day USA participants have potentially prevented millions of surplus births and saved millions of taxpayers' dollars.

For info about low-cost spay/neuter appointments, please contact EmanciPET at 512-587- 7729

or PALS at 512-754-PALS (7257)

An article written about PALS Spay Day for the Best Friends Network
by Jennifer Hayes, Network News Writer.

Photo: Jennifer Hayes

LOVE YOUR PET—Members of the City Council, PALS (Prevent a Litter of Central Texas), the San Marcos Animal Shelter and the Mutt Strutt remind residents that sterilizing pets is the best way to love them and make sure that no dogs and cats wind up unwanted and homeless. Mayor Susan Narvaiz issues a proclamation declaring Feb. 24-29 as “Spay Days USA” to encourage residents to spay and neuter their pets. L-R are Mayor Narvaiz, Sharri Boyett, Debbi Jackson, Donna Bellion of PALS and Mutt Strutt, and Kara Montiel, Bert Stratemann and Mark Brinkley of the San Marcos Animal Shelter and Environmental Health; back row, Council Members John Thomaides, Kim Porterfield and Pam Couch.

Please join PALS in their mission to help end pet overpopulation. Members, volunteers, donors, and sponsors are always needed to finance and organize fundraising and spay/neuter events.