The first discount spay/neuter clinic presented by Friends of the Gilmer Animal Shelter (FOGAS) this year saw 29 dogs and cats treated Friday, Feb 7.
The nonprofit animal shelter support group started holding clinics at the Gilmer Civic Center last July. Since then, a total of 80 dogs and cats have received spay/neuter procedures from participating Pickens County veterinarian Dr. Craig Chester and his Animal Medical Clinic staff.
“The owners of these pets paid a $25 fee for the procedure and FOGAS paid the remainder of costs,” noted FOGAS member Ernie Taylor.
Spay It Forward, a new campaign through which donations will be set aside to fund future low-cost clinics, could lead to the events being presented more often in the near future. That all depends on the amount of funds that are raised, Taylor noted.
The local clinics have become so popular because they’re both convenient and affordable for local pet owners, he added.
“They’re easier for people who live here to get to,” Taylor said.
FOGAS members will be selling a limited number of discount spay/neuter certificates for nonlocal procedures at this year’s St. Petrick’s Day event, which will be held in downtown Ellijay Saturday, March 14. Low-cost pet vaccinations, including rabies shots, will also be available at the event, Taylor said.
“We’ll be selling 20 certificates at the St. Petrick’s celebration. Those certificates are good for 90 days and are redeemable only at Georgia Animal Project, (a vet’s office located) in Ball Ground An appointment (for the vet) is required,” he noted.
Discount certificates for the next local clinic will be up for sale at the East Ellijay Tractor Supply store Sunday, March 15, at 3 p.m.
“We’ll be doing an adoption event outside Tractor Supply and we’ll be selling 30 certificates there. Those certificates are redeemable only at the FOGAS spay/ neuter clinic (that will be held) at the Gilmer County Civic Center on April 17,” Taylor said.
‘The number one way’
Gilmer Animal Shelter Director Daniel Laukka said getting their dogs and cats fixed is the number one way pet owners can help reduce the amount of unwanted animals brought to the shelter.
“Our 2019 numbers show 1,003 cats and kittens and 910 dogs and puppies that came in. Two years ago, we took in a little over 1,100 dogs and puppies. That number was a little bit lower last year, but it has fluctuated between 900 and 1,100 the last five years. I would like to see the numbers start getting less and less in the next five years,” he said.
“I don’t know how many of the (people who bring animals to the FOGAS clinics) are struggling to stop their pets from having more litters, but when we see people coming in and surrendering puppies we give them the option. You can get this certificate for your dog to keep them from having puppies. As far as we know, a large percentage of the people we’ve talked to about it have gone for the certificate and had their dogs fixed.”
There have been other recent spay/neuter events in the county that have also helped make a dent in the unwanted pet population, Laukka noted.
“We had Cat Snip in December. It’s a traveling service, which came and did 35 cats for the shelter and 34 for the community at large. We also had My Kids Have Paws, which did a mix of dogs and cats both for us and the community in January,” he said.
“I definitely believe the spay/neuter clinics are paying off, even though we may not see the dividends for a few more years.”