Why spay/neuter your pet?
Every hour, thousands of puppies and kittens are born in the U.S. And each year, between 4 and 6 million dogs and cats are killed in pounds because there is no room for them. If a dog or a cat has four offspring (a low number), and two of them are female, and those females have two females, and so on and so on — by the 7th year, that original ONE mother will have 4,372 descendants! Spaying/neutering also makes animals:
- Easier to train
- Avoid certain health risks and cancers
- Less likely to fight other animals
- Less likely to mark territory
- Less likely to run away or roam
Because of these staggering statistics, Bond County Humane Society makes pet population reduction a major part of its mission. Through many grants over the years — from the Southwestern Electric Cooperative, the ASPCA, Build-A-Bear and more — we have been able to do this. As a result of BCHS’s Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Programs more than 3,578 animals have been spayed/neutered just since the beginning of 2008. The community is encouraged to participate in this program to increase the wellness of their pets and decrease the number of unwanted litters.
BCHS Awarded Two Grants For TNVR
We are excited to announce that at its November 2024 meeting, the Greenville City Council approved a motion to give $10,000 to Bond County Humane Society for the creation of a Community Cat Program. The program is named Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, Return; and it will be only for feral and unowned free-roaming cats in the city. The society will work with Bond County Animal Control Officer Jim Hess. The grant is to be released as part of the 2025-2026 city budget which begins in May 2025.
In January 2025, it was also announced that Bond County Humane Society received a 2025 Rachael Ray No-Kill Excellence Grant from Best Friends Animal Society! We work hard every day to save dogs and cats in Bond County and these funds will help do even more through Save The Cats in Bond County. Through this program, BCHS will be mentoring with Bond County Animal Control to achieve a 90% save rate of cats in Greenville, Illinois.
By combining the resources of both grants, community cats in both the city AND the county are subject to assessment, trapping, neuter, and return to their original area where shelter, food and water will be provided by caregivers. TNVR stabilizes the population (fewer to no births), results in lower animal control costs, taxpayer dollars, reduces nuisance complaints by residents, addresses neighbors’ concerns, alleviates public health concerns, improves the cats’ lives, plus saves and helps the entire community reach a solution that benefits everyone.
More information is available on our Newsroom Page.
Snip Snip Hooray! Low-Cost Spay & Neuter is Back!
We are pleased to announce that we again are able to offer a low-cost spay/neuter transport option for feral, free roaming, and companion cats. There is typically one clinic date per month.
The cats will be brought to Bond County Humane Society and then transported to Hartz Second Chance spay/neuter clinic in Collinsville for surgery. They will be picked up and brought back to Bond County Humane Society where the owners will reclaim their cats and take them home. The first transport in November 2024 resulted in 18 cats altered! Cats must be at Bond County Humane Society by 6 a.m. the day of the transport. The cats will then be returned between 3-4 p.m. the same day. Paperwork and payment for services must be completed prior to the day of transport.
The cost for spay or neuter of feral/free roaming cats is $60. It includes pain medication, rabies vaccine, and ear tip. The cost for spay or neuter of companion cats is $80 and includes pain medication. There is an additional cost of $10 for rabies vaccine. Rabies vaccine is required for cats 4 months of age and older. Other optional vaccines and services are available at additional cost.
Companion cats and friendly, easy-to-handle cats must be in hard-sided carriers, one cat per carrier, with a blanket or towel in the carrier. Be sure the carrier is large enough for the cat to be in all day. Feral or hard-to-handle cats must be in a live-trap. Live traps will be available to borrow at Bond County Humane Society.
Please call our office, 618-664-4068, with any questions regarding this program.
Feral Cat Program
Spaying and neutering stray, neighborhood cats is the best way to reduce their population and reduce the number of unwanted kittens born every spring! These cats often have no owner and need a Good Samaritan like you to help get them fixed. This will help keep them and their offspring out of shelters, reduce disease, and make them better members of the community!
In cooperation with Greenville City Council and The Rachael Ray No-Kill Excellence Grants at Best Friends Animal Society, Bond County Humane Society is focused on helping to control the feral and unowned free-roaming cat population through aggressive spay and neuter. We believe that Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (TNVR) is the most humane and effective method available to control the outdoor nuisance cat population.
More information will be forthcoming in 2025 about specific program(s) information.
Animal Protection League (APL) in Springfield, Illinois, also works to reduce feral cat populations in central Illinois. While APL is currently not participating in a shelter transport program, you as a pet owner can make your own private arrangements with APL to have your pet or colony-cat spayed/neutered. The Animal Protective League’s Trap-Neuter-Return program “is designed to give feral cat caretakers access to low-cost spay/neuter and vaccination services for the feral cats in their colony.” Read more about feral cats and APL at apl-shelter.org.
Spay/Neuter for Companion Pets
Your companion will live a longer, healthier life and you will experience fewer headaches if you get him or her spayed or neutered. Spaying/neutering makes animals easier to train, less likely to fight other animals, less likely to mark territory, less likely to run away or roam, and avoid certain health risks and cancers. Through grant-funded BCHS Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Voucher Programs and The Animal Protective League in Springfield, 70 companion cats and 14 dogs were spayed/neutered during 2023 using local and trusted Bond County veterinary clinics and APL’s clinic.
Please call our office at 618-664-4068 or email bchs4pets@sbcglobal.net for more information about this financial assistance for spay/neuter of companion pets.
Companion Cats & Dogs Aren’t “Broken,” but They and You Will Both Benefit from Their Getting “Fixed”
