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.
All Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Programs are on hold as of November 10, 2023.
An April 2020 donation from disbanded SNIP Alliance, a Madison County non-profit, has allowed BCHS to expand Low-Cost Spay/Neuter opportunities. But now this grant money is nearly depleted, which means two things: 1) so many pets have joined the NO MORE BABIES CLUB!!! 😁 and 2) without an influx of donations to the voucher program, our low-cost spay/neuter financial help is at an end. 😧 You can still do your part by fixing your companion pets and sending feral community cats you feed to a TNR program. We may be able to refer you to a vet clinic.
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 Animal Protection League (APL) in Springfield, Illinois, Bond County Humane Society works to reduce feral cat populations in Bond County and the surrounding area. 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.” BCHS and APL are “focused on helping to control the feral cat population through aggressive spay and neuter. We believe that Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is the most humane and effective method available to control the feral cat population.” Through this low-cost clinic partner program, we helped spay/neuter 56 non-owned feral and free-roaming cats in 2023. Read more about feral cats and APL at their website.
Please call our office at 618-664-4068 or email bchs4pets@sbcglobal.net for more information about this effective and affordable trap-neuter-return program for non-owned feral/free-roaming cats.
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”
