UPDATE: Metroplex Animal Coalition suspends free spay/neuter program due to surge in requests, lack of funding

Updated 08:06 a.m., October 22, 2009

by PegNews wire

Editor's note: The headline has been changed; it used to read, "Dallas Animal Services suspends free spay/neuter program due to surge in requests, lack of funding," and a source informed us that this was incorrect.

In October 2008, a Dallas ordinance went into effect that requires residents to spay and neuter their pets. Now, one year later, a surge in requests from pet owners who must comply with the law has left the Metroplex Animal Coalition (MAC) out of funds for the only free spay/neuter program for lower-income pet owners in Dallas.

Although the city was slow to publicize and enforce the new law, a mailing this summer by Dallas Animal Services resulted in hundreds of pet owners hurrying to comply. In addition to advising pet owners about the ordinance, the mailing included information about MAC’s free program.

“As a result, the demand for assistance from low-income pet owners has skyrocketed, increasing our surgery volume by more than 50% from our regular monthly rate,” said Elaine Munch, president of MAC’s board of directors. “The need to comply with the law combined with the bad economy has caused low-income families to take advantage of our free program like never before.

“We are thrilled that people want to do the right thing for their pets and for the community as a whole,” she added, “but the huge demand has seriously depleted our resources.”

MAC, an alliance of more than 50 local animal-welfare groups, has provided free spay and neuter surgeries for dogs and cats belonging to lower-income pet owners since 2001. During that time, the nonprofit organization has paid for almost 13,000 surgeries for those who earn less than $35,000 and could not otherwise afford the cost.

To maximize resources and provide the service where it’s most needed, MAC targets the 14 Dallas zip codes that consistently have the highest number of calls to 311 regarding loose, stray, and abandoned animals — the areas in which the pet overpopulation problem is the greatest.

In FY 2008, Dallas Animal Services put to death almost 27,000 companion dogs and cats.

“This is a problem we can solve,” said Munch. “It sounds simple, but with enough funding we could make a huge impact on the stray and unwanted pet population in Dallas in a very short time.

“We have the structure and the volunteers in place,” she added. “We just need funding to meet the demand for people who want to be responsible and can’t afford it.”

For more information about the Metroplex Animal Coalition or to contribute to its free spay-neuter program, call 972-669-5000 or visit www.MetroplexAnimalCoalition.org.

Source: Metroplex Animal Coalition