Thursday, August 28, 2008

Activists: Poor can't afford voucher fees

By TIM MORAN
tmoran@modbee.com

last updated: July 23, 2008 02:24:08 PM

Getting a county voucher to get a pet fixed will be more expensive as of Aug. 15, when the fees for county spay and neuter vouchers go up, but several private groups in the county are stepping up efforts to fill in the gap.

County vouchers, sold at monthly clinics held around the county, cost $50 for a license, vaccinations, a microchip and the voucher, good for a spay or neuter operation at participating veterinary clinics.

That price will rise to $72 for low-income families and $140 for everyone else Aug. 15, as a result of a county board vote July 15. Several animal activists protested that the fee hike will discourage low-income people from getting their pets fixed.

Alternatives to the county vouchers are growing.

The Stanislaus County Animal Services Auxiliary will hold a Mobile Spay & Neuter Clinic from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in the airport neighborhood. The operations will be offered at $5, and rabies shots at $2, said auxiliary President Mary Whetstone.

Stanislaus County's veterinarian, Kwane Stewart, is volunteering his time to perform the surgeries, Whetstone said, and the auxiliary will use the county's "Neuter Scooter" mobile clinic.

The clinic will fix 15 dogs and 10 cats, and people should call 524-0669 for an appointment, Whetstone said. Participants must show proof they are receiving public assistance.

"It seems very small, but this is our first time getting our feet wet," Whetstone said. "We planned it small to grow. We can see what works and what doesn't."

The auxiliary chose the airport neighborhood because 3,500 of the 15,000 pets impounded at the county animal shelter last year came from that neighborhood, Whetstone said. The auxiliary is using $660 in dues and donations to hold the clinic, she said.

The Humane Society of Stanislaus County is planning to offer low-cost spay-neuter vouchers, according to President Traci Jennings.

The vouchers will include surgery, a microchip and a rabies vaccination. Vouchers for small- and medium-sized dogs will cost $40; large dog vouchers will be $60. The vouchers will be paid for with $16,000 bequeathed to the Humane Society, according to a news release.

The Humane Society also will require proof of eligibility for the low-income vouchers. They may be verified by a Medi-Cal card, a food stamp card or a utility bill with a low-income designation.

"We at HSSC believe that the people of Stanislaus County want to do the right thing for their animals, and we intend to help them to do just that," Jennings said in the news release.

The Humane Society's Web site is www.humanestanislaus.org.

Alley Cat Guardians has been holding regular spay and neuter events, and is raising money for a permanent facility to do the operations on free-roaming cats. The group has reached $15,000 of the $50,000 goal, according to its Web site. The group hopes to get private grant money to purchase medical equipment and supplies, and has commitments from several veterinarians to work at the clinic when it opens. It would operate one to two days a week during the first year, according to the group's Web site, http://network.bestfriends.org/acg/news.

Bee staff writer Tim Moran can be reached at tmoran@modbee.com or 578-2349.

• Comments
• Add Comment
• Disclaimer