Browse archives: 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995

Published on 02/09/1998 All articles from this issue

Animal lovers urge pet owners to spay, neuter

printer friendly version

By Joanne Griffith Domingue

Town Crier Staff Writer

Patricia Greenhood is a woman with a mission. This Los Altos Hills resident for 38 years wants pet owners to spay and neuter their animals, especially during February, which is spay and neuter month.

"Every month should be spay and neuter month. We simply have too many animals," she said. With passion.

"It's such a simple operation. It could almost be done on the kitchen table," she said.

Spay and neuter month grew out of the Doris Day Animal League "spay day," said Sandi Stadler, superintendent of the Animal Services Division in Palo Alto.

From there the day grew into a month, after joining with the Humane Society of the United States.

The whole idea is "awareness," Stadler said, and "getting veterinarians to do low-cost spay and neuters on that day.

"We're already doing low-cost spaying to capacity. But we will make appointments into the future. You do not need to be a resident of the area," Stadler said.

She talked about some of the myths that keep people from having their animal neutered.

"The female dog will get fat. Well, she'll get fat if you feed her too much."

Another worry, she said, is that "a male will become a sissy-boy. Well, animals live in the present, and I've never seen an animal go into depression after being neutered," she said.

Or, some want their pet to give birth "so my kids can watch," she said.

"That makes animal lovers crazy because so many animals are just backyard mistakes and killed each year," Stadler said.

Costs for spaying or neutering at the Palo Alto Animal Services are as follows:

female cat, $35;

male cat, $29;

female dog, $49;

male dog, $43;

rabbits, $50 either sex.

For more information, call Palo Alto Animal Services, 496-5971.