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Vetmobile visits Marion, WM shelters

Vetmobile visits Marion, WM shelters

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Vetmobile visits Marion, WM shelters

Local spay/ neuter effort a boon for county

news@theeveningtimes.com

Bob Barker, longtime host of “The Price is Right,” always closed his TV game show with the advice to “spay or neuter your pets.”

But even with celebrity spokespersons offering friendly reminders, the pet population continues to grow exponentially.

West Memphis Animal Control Director Kerry Sneed underscored the need to “fix” the pet population explosion and took the opportunity to spread that message with a veterinary mobile clinic in West Memphis.

The Arkansans for Animals Vetmobile had a cancellation, and the city shelter have seized the four-day opportunity. The vets spayed and neutered sheltered dogs and cats for two days in West Memphis and two days in Marion. It was labeled a high volume effort because about 130 animals in Crittenden County saw the doctor this week. Arkansas For Animals performed 65 spays or neuters first two days at the West Memphis Animal Shelter.

Sneed said the effort wouldn’t be possible without a generous contribution by local benefactors underwriting the special effort.

“Ness and Carolyn Sechrest have donated the money and told me to use it anyway we need to,” said Sneed. “Carolyn is on our animal control committee. We are honored to have them as our sponsor. It’s wonderful for Arkansans for Animals to come in and not to have the City of West Memphis pay for any of this because of the private donations.”

It’s important for pets to be fixed when they are old enough for the operation but still too young to reproduce. “A male and female cat in seven years can produce 144,000 kittens,” said Sneed. “They are reproducing by six months and have as many as four litters per year. With dogs its about 64,000 in a five year period and they can start reproducing at 8 months.”

That adds up to a bunch of stray dogs and feral cats on the prowl without a home.

“For every homeless animal to have a home every person in the nation would have to adopt seven animals,” said Sneed. “That is why we must continue to put the word out spay and neuter pets.”

Photo by John Rech

West Memphis Animal Service workers pose with staff from Arkansans for Animals at the city animal shelter last Monday. About 130 shelter animals received spaying and neutering services in the veterinarian mobile office in West Memphis and Marion last week.

By John Rech

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