ANIMAL SPAY DAY A FIRST FOR COMMUNITY
Source: News24 (Extract)
Posted: November 2, 2021
On Friday 22 October, a number of collaborators came together to host Lavender Hill’s very first spay day, a mass sterilisation event for the benefit of the community and to reduce the number of stray animals that, ultimately, face uncertain futures.
The “event” – a four-hour operating period – was organised in partnership with Vetsol, a non-profit trust which aims to provide regular and safe pet sterilisation; Dancers Love Dog, a non-profit organisation of dancers who raise funds for mass sterilisation; and Youth Pet Care (YPC), the Lavender Hill-based charity organisation which has been providing services for local pets since the beginning of this year.
YPC’s founder Nazrudeen Adams explains: “We had a spay day for the first time in Lavender Hill. It happened behind Stone Court and we only had 15 spay spaces and it took about four hours. Vetsol did the operations but Dancers Love Dogs donated the funds. We are Youth Pet Care and we made history because that was the first spay day that ever happened in Lavender Hill.”
The importance of sterilising a pet cannot be underestimated. In an article published by People’s Post last year (“Importance of pet sterilisation”, 4 August 2020), the Animal Welfare Society (AWS) said spaying a female dog can extend their lifespan by preventing “uterine infections and breast cancer, which is fatal in about 50% of dogs and 90% of cats”. Alan Perrins, spokesperson for AWS, added that it prevents testicular cancer in male dogs.
Additionally, litters produced carelessly by unsterilised animals can become strays which are a real concern as they prey on wildlife, cause car accidents, frighten or injure children, and suffer a hard life, having to scavenge for scraps.
The spay day will help to reduce the prevalence of strays in Lavender Hill.
Following the sterilisation of the 15 dogs, veterinarian Dagmar Atkinson commented in a Facebook post: “Had a lovely steri day in Lavender Hill for Youth Pet Care organisation. It was refreshing to work with a bunch of young sterilisation enthusiasts. I can only commend them for the work they are doing in this community in pet care and, especially, educating the young. Hope they can get more funding to keep the momentum going. Thank you for making the first steri day ever in Lavender Hill possible.”
Adams hopes this sterilisation event will not be the last and is eager to host more of these events for the well-being of the local animals.