larger view

This past Saturday my wife and I put on our volunteer shoes and walked into the SPCA facility on Gibson Street to help with the low cost spay and neuter event that was being held in conjuction with an open house fund raiser. What an enjoyable experience!

A lot of people locally have no concept about both the SPCA here in town, or what it takes to put on one of these low cost spay & neuter days. So many people I've talked with in town believe that the SPCA is simply another city funded or county funded department that acts as an extension of Animal Control.  It is not. Although Animal Control and the SPCA here locally often work together on some programs (like this event) they are not affiliated and have very differing funding channels. It was great to see the shiny and modern Animal Control truck at the SPCA grounds acting as a triage center for the surgical procedures  going on. A big thanks to folks at Animal Control!

An event like this is designed to raise awareness in the community for the need to spay and neuter your pets to prevent the terrible overpopulation and euthanization problems we have here and throughout this country.

I won't bore you with the stats, other than to say killing the vast majority of somewhere between 6 and 9 million pets a year in this country for simply  becoming unwanted is the crushing reality  today. The SPCA here is a no-kill facility and many of the discarded pets have been there for quite awhile, which also means that rooms at this very low wage and volunteer inn are at a premium. Everyone should know that the Animal Control facility on Mount Vernon  must put-down more than a thousand dogs a month due to  the shortage of  space and dollars needed to  find  good homes for these poor creatures. Due to funding shortfalls cats are not taken, unless a dead one is scooped up from a roadside.

So thoughtful people man up every once in a while to put on a low-cost spay and neuter event for people strapped for cash,  who know it is in their interest and the community at large to snip the growing problem in the bud. An event like this needs about five grand to actually make the project cost effective. You're talking about a lot of medical equipment, doctors valuable time and expertise, technicians valuable time and expertise, expensive vehicles and space rental requirements all to cover in the name of helping the poor and the little non-profit organization. 

I won't name the family and their extended group of caring people responsible for funding this latest event, they, or the Bakersfield SPCA, can do so if they choose to publicize their super efforts. I just want them to know what a tremendous gift to this city their efforts were and to thank them from the bottom of my heart. I do know that about 150 cats are now fixed and will not add to overpopulation problems confronting us.

The day was cloudy and windy but the SPCA had a great turn out for their Open House and spay/neuter fund raiser. We put in a few hours rubbing little noggins awake from the anaesthitic and delivering them back to their families. I felt a little guilty that I actually did so little. Thanks to everyone who came and supported this great local organization that desperately needs more contributions from all of us.

Have a great day and don't forget to spay or neuter those who depend on you.