The Humane Society of Cascade County will be hosting their next low-cost spay and neuter clinic on August 24th and 25th. These clinics are specifically for low-income pet owners and are made possible by the dedication of local volunteers.
The veterinary staff and technicians from Spay Montana, based out of Helena, will be providing their assistance. They have developed techniques to reduce the time animals spend under anesthesia and protocols to minimize complications. Their teams perform around 4000 spays and neuters across the state annually.
The Humane Society of Cascade County takes care of all the organization prior to the event and starts early on Saturday morning, running a non-stop assembly line to spay/neuter approximately 100 dogs and upwards of 225 cats over the weekend.
“I would like to mention the vets in our area who have made it possible to really attack the pet overpopulation problem,” explained Nora Norum with The Humane Society of Cascade County. “Best Friends Vet has given us a generous discount for the past 15 years, for all vet care. Dr Gilligan at Animal Medical Clinic has set his prices for us at a very affordable low rate, and over the years he has single-handedly prevented more unwanted litters than any other individual vet in this area. We also use East Slope Vet in Choteau. While it’s a bit of a drive, he can spay and neuter about 25 cats in one day and has an affordable price.”
The Humane Society works together with several other groups to make this event successful. They provide food for the volunteers and veterinary staff which the wives of the Elks donate their time to serve, prepare, and cook all the lunches and snacks. The O’Hare donates rooms for the veterinary staff. Eklunds for many years has loaned them a refrigerator for the week-end. Albertson’s on 10th donates all the bottles of drinking water. Printing Center USA donates all the post-surgery care instruction sheets, as well as any other printing needs we have. This includes other things besides the spay/neuter clinics. They have donated anything we have needed printed for many years. Best Friends Animal Hospital provides any after-care that may need to occur in case of surgical complications, since the Spay Montana vets go back home to other towns. And General Distributing Company donates the oxygen tanks, about 20 per clinic.
This spay and neuter program is crucial for low-income families who cannot afford the cost of these procedures. The organization raises funds throughout the year through various means, including an annual Spayghetti dinner event in October, which includes a fundraising auction that brought in $18,000 last year.
If you are interested in supporting this cause, you can mail a check to PO Box 1774, Great Falls MT 59403, or visit hsccgf.org. For more information, please call (406) 452-7729 or (406) 231-4722.
Author: Karen Anderson
Karen is the Editor-in-Chief overseeing all news operations at Foxys Publishing Co. She also loves photography and spending time with her dogs.
