SuppliedGrowing up, Lady and the Tramp was one of my favourite Disney movies. I loved the way the dogs were able to fall in love in spite of their differences, and the movie really shaped my young values. Unfortunately, as an adult I now understand that most strays don’t get the same happy ending as the Tramp.
Pet ownership can be expensive. Like the unfortunate Tramp, some pet owners even resort to throwing their animals out on the street or surrendering them to shelters. However, things just got a little bit cheaper. The Edmonton Humane Society just announced the opening of their new mobile spay and neuter service.
The service is an extension of the already-existing PALS service, which helps low-income pet owners afford to fix their pets. Set to open operations in the fall of 2020, the new service’s proposal of mobility is a boon to users; given a small amount of pet-friendly transportation options, people who had previously been unable to bring their pets to be fixed are now finding accessibility in this veterinary clinic on wheels.
The Edmonton Humane Society is, as usual, doing amazing work. This service will not only be a gift to low-income pet owners, but also act as population control. The presence of strays is forever an issue surrounding the ownership of house pets, but with the advent of the mobile spay and neuter service, things just got a little less bleak. Fewer unwanted babies mean fewer strays. Kill shelters are where the majority of surrendered animals end up, so each baby your pet doesn’t have is a gift to the veterinary technician who would otherwise have to euthanize them.
If you’re a low-income pet owner, take advantage of the PALS program if you can. If transportation isn’t the issue, then there’s no reason you should be unable to spay or neuter your pet. Your small act could start a chain reaction; the fewer animals end up in shelters, the more room they have, and the less they have to euthanize.
