| FixYourPet.ca - It is the kindest thing you can do | ||
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Newmarket, ON (June 06, 2009) - The Ontario SPCA and its 50 plus SPCA and Humane Society Communities across the province are urging the public to help end the pet overpopulation crisis in Ontario and fix your pet! Abandoned... a cat and her kitten were abandoned at the side of a road in a sealed rubber container. Unwanted... a yellow Labrador and her eight puppies were surrendered to the Ontario SPCA. The mom was still a puppy herself and this was her second litter. There are tens of thousands of dogs and cats that end up on Ontario streets or in shelters each year. Many homeless animals suffer neglect, abandonment and abuse. Even finding homes for kittens and puppies is challenging, because there are more adoptable pets than willing, adoptive homes. Spaying and neutering pets will reduce shelter intake and euthanasia. It can also reduce health risks, physical stress and improve behaviour. Fixed pets are also less likely to roam, reducing the risk of injury, accident and loss. QUICK FACTS
MYTHS Fixing my pet will make him/ her overweight...Fixing your pet should not result in weight gain if your pet receives a healthy diet and sufficient exercise. Fixing my pet interferes with nature...Domesticated dogs and cats are completely dependent on humans. It is our responsibility as their guardians to ensure that the number of companion animals born does not exceed the number of available homes. All animals have the right to have one litter...Spaying a female cat or dog before she goes into heat even once will greatly reduce her risk of developing mammary, ovarian and uterine cancer. FIX YOUR PET CAMPAIGN Starting this week, the Ontario SPCA and its Communities will launch a comprehensive educational campaign designed to encourage pet owners to spay or neuter their pet and help end pet overpopulation. The marketing and communications plan includes the Society's signature cover ad in transit shelters, cinemas and malls across Ontario. The ad will also be incorporated into a provincial library awareness campaign as a bookmark, and as an Internet advertising campaign. Other campaign elements include a new informative website (www.FixYourPet.ca ) with fun features, including ringtones and downloadable wallpaper, plus print, radio and public service announcements featured in communities across the province. ONTARIO'S FIRST HIGH-VOLUME SPAY/NEUTER SERVICE Ontario's first high-volume spay/neuter service, the new Ontario SPCA Centre Veterinary Hospital Spay/Neuter Services in Newmarket, celebrated 1,200 surgeries last month. It is open to the public, shelters and rescue groups, regardless of geography. Another high-volume spay/neuter service will open in Barrie later this year. These innovative facilities are part of the Ontario SPCA's larger provincial strategy to help end the pet overpopulation crisis in Ontario. To book an appointment in Newmarket, call (905) 898-6112 or 1-888-668-7722 extension 384 and leave your daytime phone number. To learn more visit www.spayneuter.ontariospca.ca. CAMPAIGN WEBSITE QUOTES "The Fix Your Pet campaign is a strategic educational campaign to end the euthanasia of healthy, adoptable companion animals simply because there are more pets than willing adoptive homes" said Jim Sykes, Chair, Ontario SPCA Board of Directors. "Opening Ontario's first high-volume spay/neuter services centre is part of our ongoing efforts to reduce shelter intake and ensure that every animal has a loving home," said Kate MacDonald, Ontario SPCA Chief Executive Officer. "The McGuinty government is proud to have helped fund this important clinic. I ask all pet owners to have their dogs and cats spayed or neutered to reduce the number of unwanted animals in Ontario," said Rick Bartolucci, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. ###Ontario SPCA Provincial Media Contact: Kristin Williams About the Ontario SPCA The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Ontario SPCA): Protecting
animals since 1873, the Ontario SPCA is a registered charity comprised of over 50 Communities
relying primarily on donations to fund animal protection, care and rehabilitation; advocacy;
and humane education. The Ontario SPCA Act mandates the Society to enforce animal cruelty laws
and provides Society investigators with police powers to do so - making the Ontario SPCA unique
among animal welfare organizations in the province. The Ontario SPCA is a member of the Canadian
Federation of Humane Societies, the World Society for the Protection of Animals, and is affiliated
with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. |