Port Alberni & the BC SPCA: Help us continue our Successful Pet - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Port Alberni & the BC SPCA:

Help us continue our Successful Pet Overpopulation Strategy

The BC SPCA

• The BC Society for the Prevention
• f Cruelty to Animals is a not for

profit charity dedicated to the protection and care of animals.

• We are the largest animal welfare
• rganization of its kind in North

America.

• The BC SPCA operates 37

branches across BC and provided direct care to nearly 40 000 domestic, farm and wild animals in need last year.

Our Mission and Vision

MISSION: To Protect and Enhance the Quality of Life for Domestic, Farm and Wild Animals in BC VISION: To inspire and mobilize society to create a world in which all animals enjoy as a minimum, five essential freedoms:

• 1. Freedom from hunger and thirst
• 2. Freedom from pain, injury, and

disease

• 3. Freedom from distress
• 4. Freedom from discomfort
• 5. Freedom to express behaviours

that promote well-being

The BC SPCA and The City of Port Alberni

The Alberni Branch of the BC SPCA provides an Animal Control Contract to the City of Port Alberni.

• Our animal control services include:

– Providing an animal control Officer – Providing a vehicle – Trained staff to care for the impounded animals –A facility to house the Animals –Knowledgeable reception staff to log complaints and assist the public with city bylaws and animal control issues –License sales –Control of Dangerous Dogs

BC SPCA and Port Alberni

The Alberni branch of the BC SPCA has been in operation since 1960. In 2015:

• We admitted 634 animals from

the Port Alberni region

• Of those 332 were cats and

kittens

• Compared with 254 dogs and

puppies taken in during the same time- there are more cats being surrendered and abandoned than dogs.

• 61 dogs and puppies and 154

cats and kittens were transferred to other branches for re-homing.

Many more animals saw help through our assistance programs.

• Our Animeals Program which

provides free pet food to guardians in need.

• Spay/Neuter Assistant

Programs for low cost spay and neuter to 334 cats and dogs.

• Cat Vaccine Clinic which saw

39 cats receive their annual vaccine and flea control at a significantly reduced cost.

• Dog Vaccine Clinic which saw

52 dogs receive their annual vaccine and flea control at a significantly reduced cost, which has greatly reduced the incidence of parvovirus in the Alberni Valley.

Spay & Neuter Programs Saves Lives

Every year in Port Alberni and other B.C. communities thousands of animals suffer from abandonment and disease due to lack of care. With support from governments, foundations and donors, The BC SPCA combats this problem by caring for nearly 40,000 abandoned or surrendered animals every year.

Pet Overpopulation: Community Concerns

• Unsterilized animals breed,

producing unwanted litters, creating pet over population

• Disease from animal waste can

spread to children & other animals

• Increased incidents of dog bites

and dangerous dog interactions

• Predation of birds and other native

wildlife

• Public nuisance & noise issues
• Poor animal welfare – animals die

needlessly

Unsterilized animals cause community problems

However, with your help we can continue to :

• 1. Increase public health

& safety

• 2. Save animal lives

By continuing to provide an affordable and accessible spay/neuter program for the community of Port Alberni.

Pet Overpopulation: A Preventable Problem

Barriers to Spay/Neuter Success

 Affordability  Accessibility  Attitude Low-income residents are HALF as likely to spay or neuter their animals.

When low-income pet guardians have access to assistance for spay/neuter, they are eager to do the right thing. Combining low-cost spay/neuter assistance with public awareness about spay/neuter are the most successful in reducing pet overpopulation. Port Alberni is one of these success stories- help us continue the good work!

Port Alberni Spay/ Neuter Project: A Community Spay/Neuter Story

Port Alberni Spay Neuter Project

• In 2012, the city of Port Alberni was

experiencing a serious cat

• verpopulation problem.
• Limited access to affordable cat

spay/neuter services for low income residents.

• Intact kittens and cats left to

reproduce, with some producing multiple litters per year. As a result, community members surrendered unwanted kittens to the shelter, further stressing the branch’s capacity to provide quality services.

Pre-Project Situation in Port Alberni

Port Alberni Spay & Neuter Program

• The BC SPCA Alberni-Clayoquot

Branch received $110,920 from PetSmart Charities of Canada to sterilize 800 owned cats within the city limits of Port Alberni from 2013-2015.

• Local veterinary partners offered

discounted surgery rates.

• Residents schedule the surgery

appointment and received a spay/neuter voucher from the local branch.

• All voucher recipients were asked to

pay a $30 fee which was added back into the fund enabling us to help even more people.

Program Overview:

Port Alberni Spay & Neuter Program

• The project is responsible for a

dramatic decline in the number

• f homeless and abandoned

kittens in Port Alberni.

• 47% decline in kitten intake

between 2014 – 2015

• 40% decline in owner surrendered

kittens between 2014 – 2015

• 12% decline in owner surrendered

cats (expected to increase over time)

• Only one pregnant cat entered the

shelter during the 2015 kitten season

• Prevention is the solution!

Success we’ve seen:

The Need

Spay & Neuter Saves Lives

We asking that you consider A 2% increase to our Animal Control Contract the additional funds will be added to our Spay/Neuter Assistance fund

• The Alberni Branch provided

Animal Control Services to The City of Port Alberni in 2015 for $147,539.52

• In 2016 we are asking Council to

consider a 2% increase to our Contract fees. The additional $2,950.79 will be added to our Spay/Neuter Assistance Program.

Spay/Neuter Saves Lives

Why Fund Spay/Neuter?

• Save animal lives
• Help low income Port Alberni

residents

• Less free roaming & feral animals
• Less noise & nuisance

complaints

• Less disease transmission
• Continue being a municipal

leader in animal welfare!

Thank You

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Irene Towell

Alberni-Clayoquot Branch Manager

Email: itowell@spca.bc.ca Phone number: (250) 723-5269

Questions?