NORWICH – Dr. Teresa Mandracchia, Dr. Steve Culverwell and ten volunteers from Compassionate Care Veterinary Hospital, 198 Grandview Lane in the Town of Norwich, participated in an event dubbed Spay-A-Thon earlier this month, an event organizers hope to make an annual occurrence.
The Spay-A-Thon was organized by veterinary technician Amy Constable and All Animals Matter, Inc. founder Diane Troxell.
According to Troxell, feral cats were trapped with Havahart traps – live animal traps said to be a safe and humane animal control alternative, offering ease of use and safer animal handling. In this case, the feral cats were transported to Compassionate Care Veterinary Hospital (CCVH) to be spayed, neutered and vaccinated.
“We had 17 traps set at different locations but were only successful in trapping 13,” said Troxell. Those 13 cats were then returned to where they came from, according to Troxell, as they had good caregivers.
“On the whole, the ferals looked good and I made sure they got all the fluids after the surgery and a dose of Revolution for worms and parasites,” said Dr. Mandracchia. “Every female we spay keeps dozens of kittens from dying of starvation and disease.”
According to Troxell, the cat population in Chenango County – and elsewhere in the United States – has dramatically increased over the past several years.
“There are just not enough homes for them,” Troxell said. “Since a five month old kitten can begin producing kittens herself, the cycle never ends unless it is spayed.”
Pet owners on public assistance – unemployment, the Home Energy Assistance Program, Medicaid or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – can apply for a voucher to get their pet spayed or neutered at the Chenango SPCA under the Spay Neuter Outreach Opportunity for Pets (SNOOP) program.
SNOOP is a community fund to provide financial assistance to Chenango County families to help cover the costs of spaying or neutering the pets. Coin boxes are located at various locations throughout the area including: Aim Fitness, Norwich; Bartles Pharmacy, Oxford; Boynton Pro Audio-Music Square, Norwich; Clyde’s Little Red Barn, Earlville; Doggie Dude Ranch, Norwich; Greene Spirits, Greene; NY Pizzeria, New Berlin; Big M, Sherburne; and more than a dozen other area businesses. Residents are encouraged by the CSPCA to patronize the participating businesses and drop some coins into the SNOOP coin boxes to help out their respective communities.
“Pet owners who are low income or who cannot afford the procedure can contact All Animals Matter, Inc.,” added Troxell.
Troxell has helped hundreds of families spay and neuter their pets within the past nine years. All Animals Matter, Inc. (AAM) was formerly SNAP – the Spay/Neuter Assistance Program – but has since changed its name as more animal related services are now offered.
In addition to assisting local residents to have their pets spayed and neutered, AAM - a 501c3 nonprofit organization - will hold spay and neuter clinics as well as Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) programs for feral cats like the Spay-A-Thon held in early August. With a TNR program, the feral cats are humanely trapped, spayed or neutered, and returned to their colonies.
AAM provides pet food assistance for low income residents as well as starting a fund to help with the costs of emergency veterinary care.
“It is our hope at AAM that a Spay-A-Thon could become an annual event involving several vets in Chenango County,” Troxell added. “As a first time event, everything went incredibly smooth.
Troxell explained there are hundreds of feral cats in the county, and in order for a nonprofit organization to afford a Spay-A-Thon, the vets would have to charge half price or less for services and the rabies vaccine.
This year, extra fluids and medications were donated to each feral cat by the CCVH. If more vets participated, said Troxell, it would certainly help to curb the feral cat population.
For further information contact Diane Troxell at 843-9538 or visit allanimalsmatter.org.