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City of Regina committee supports RHS mobile spaying and neutering clinic


BY JOE COUTURE, LEADER-POST AUGUST 19, 2010


REGINA — The Regina Humane Society (RHS) was praised on Wednesday for its plan to bring pet-sterilization services to low-income communities in the city.

That plan is one step closer to becoming a reality after the City of Regina's community and protective services committee voted to recommend council allocate money to support the initiative.

Though council approval still is required, during the meeting, councillors who sit as members of the committee expressed enthusiasm for the RHS's idea to use a mobile veterinary clinic to spay and neuter pets in inner-city areas.

"I'm excited about the innovation here and the fact they are going out to community to solve the issue," said committee chairman Coun. Mike O'Donnell. "I'm disappointed that what's currently in place is not working so well. But I'm also very respectful of the fact that people are ready to attack and do something better."

The committee heard the city has been spending about $147,000 a year to support spay and neuter services. That's the same amount that would be paid to the RHS to operate its program.

"In the past, we have not had this mobile clinic, which is an absolutely brilliant idea that will actually target more financially disadvantaged areas of the community," said Bonny Bryant, the city's general manager of community and protective services. "The previous way was (pet owners) had to find a way to get to a clinic to have the procedures done."

Making it easier for people to access sterilization services hopefully will result in increased sterilization rates, Bryant said. According to a report considered by the committee, RHS statistics show 80 to 85 per cent of unsterilized animals found running at large are in the North Central and Heritage neighbourhoods of Regina.

"What was happening is we had a decrease in the number of spayed and neutered animals in the community," Bryant said. "This will certainly help us in raising those numbers. We're happy to support it. It will save a lot of animals from being euthanized."

Lisa Koch, RHS executive director, noted the RHS has purchased the vehicle that is to be used for the mobile clinic and could be ready to start the program in the near future. Postings will go out to residents in advance of when mobile clinics are planned for their areas.

"We are very happy with the support we've seen from the city and the proactive approach they've taken to help resolve the pet over-population problems that we have in the city," Koch told reporters.

"What we really want to see is that there are other groups that will step up and do the same thing," he said. "I hope this is the start of those types of things."