Spay and Neuter Clinic on Buena Vista created using
donations
After years of planning and fundraising, the Pet Friends Spay
and Neuter Clinic located at 2975 Buena Vista Road opened July 12.
An open house is scheduled July 18, where community members are
invited to visit the new facility.
A grand opening and ribbon cutting is set for Aug. 15 from 3 to
5 p.m.
Spay and Neuter Clinic on Buena Vista created using donations
After years of planning and fundraising, the Pet Friends Spay and Neuter Clinic located at 2975 Buena Vista Road opened July 12. An open house is scheduled July 18, where community members are invited to visit the new facility.
A grand opening and ribbon cutting is set for Aug. 15 from 3 to 5 p.m.
“[It was] the dream of the original founders,” said Jack Scutchall, the spay and neuter committee chairman at Pet Friends. “At a board meeting one year ago in June, I volunteered [to be in charge of the clinic]”
According to Scutchall, in a recent Pet Friends newsletter, founders Maxine Riney, Gloria Hays and Teri Klein, the three women had a goal of rescuing homeless cats and dogs; adopting out those animals; and providing a low-cost clinic in the community.
To open the clinic, the Spay and Neuter Steering Committee raised $52,000 to build the facility and cover initial costs. More donations will be needed to maintain the facility and cover the cost of spay or neutering the pets.
“That’s the only way we survive,” Scutchall said.
The clinic is booked through August but Scutchall said they are working on quality versus quantity
“[We are] starting slow with approximately 10 to 20 animals per day,” said Scutchall. “[The clinic] doesn’t do anything above and beyond spaying. [The clinic] also has a requirement that all of the animals they spay must have all of their vaccinations, but we provide vaccinations at the clinic.”
Dr. Lara Fairchild is the clinic veterinarian and she will be working with vet techs Cheryl Lauber, Kirsty Romer and Vanessa Stewart.
The spay and neuter clinic will only take patients through appointments.
The hours for the clinic are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. with a check in of 8:30-9:30 a.m., and dogs are treated every Monday and every other Friday. Cats are treated every Thursday. The cost of female dog sterilization is $75 for a 2- to 70-pound dog, and $95 for a 71-90 pound dog. Male dog sterilization is $75 for a 2-70 pound dog and $85 for a 71- to 100-pound dog. The cost for female cat sterilization is $40 for a domestic cat and $40 for a feral cat. Male cat sterilization is $30 for a domestic cat and $40 for a feral cat.
“I could not begin to thank every individual and contributor to this outstanding success,” Scutchall said in the newsletter. “With employee salaries, medication, supplies and the day to day operational expenses, it is estimated the clinic will operate a deficit of about $3,600 a month. This only means our job will never be done.”
Scutchall and other volunteers have put in work, time and dedication to the spay and neuter clinic and he said they want to see it do well and help as many animals as possible.
“It’s been a long year, believe me,” Scutchall said.
Pet Friends will have a fundraiser on July 25 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at San Benito Bank parking lot located at 300 Tres Pinos Road. The cost is $10 per meal. For more information about the fundraiser or the Spay Neuter clinic, call Pet Friends at 634-1191 or visit www.petfriends.org.
