SPCA Whangārei centre manager Karla Aekins and Tahleah Green encourage Northland pet owners to make use of the mobile desexing clinic to prevent unwanted litters.
SPCA Whangārei centre manager Karla Aekins and Tahleah Green encourage Northland pet owners to make use of the mobile desexing clinic to prevent unwanted litters.
Pet owners in Northland’s rural communities will soon be able to have their dog or cat desexed free of charge at the SPCA’s new mobile clinic.
The mobile clinic - called ‘Snippy’ - will get a test run in Auckland’s SPCA Māngere centre before making its debut in Northland in late September.
The purpose-built vehicle’s first tour aims to desex 500 animals in Northland, preventing an estimated 1850 animals from being born the following year into a potential life of suffering.
SPCA national desexing programme manager Rebecca Dobson said the clinic would help prevent the birth of “thousands and thousands” of unwanted animals.
By offering free desexing services, SPCA was “addressing the root causes” of overpopulation and reducing the burden on local animal shelters, she said.
“Our new SPCA mobile desexing clinic is specifically designed to reach remote areas where access to veterinary care is limited.
“It is the sad reality that unwanted litters contribute to the cycle of animal homelessness, abandonment and suffering.
“Our mobile service will play a crucial role in breaking this cycle by providing a safe, accessible and cost-free solution for pet owners who may otherwise be unable to afford or access these services.”
Northland has a disproportionately high number of cats and dogs that are not desexed.
SPCA Whangārei Centre manager Karla Aekins encouraged pet owners to make use of the service, which has been running for the last three years.
The Whangārei branch was currently “really struggling” with huge amounts of puppies and dogs, she said.
The SPCA’s new mobile desexing clinic, ‘Snippy’, will be visiting rural Northland communities in late September.
“Hopefully we can get the numbers of litters of puppies and kittens right down.
“It’s a huge focus for us up north. This year the numbers are higher - we’re still getting small puppies in now, and usually we don’t.
“People are not educated properly about desexing; they take on an animal and don’t follow through to the desexing stage.
“Some say it has to do with money, and maybe it has, but we’ve been doing lots of desexing for low to no cost for a long time now, so it’s not really an excuse anymore.”
Donna Badorek, a Kaitāia vet nurse who also runs Donna Doolittle’s Animal Rescue, said she was “super-excited” to hear about the clinic.
“The situation is crazy at the moment.
“There are so many puppies and kittens and roaming and lost dogs around, I’m getting messages day after day.
“It’s going to target those locations where people are a bit inhibited and not able to get to a vet clinic, and will provide a service that’s definitely missing.
“It’s also an opportunity to get to those communities and help with educating them as well.”
Donna Badorek, who runs Donna Doolittle's Animal Rescue, said she was “super-excited” to hear about the mobile desexing clinic.
The previous SPCA desexing caravan was decommissioned due to mechanical issues and completed its final journey around the East Coast last year.
Snippy, a Volkswagen Crafter, has specific features including climate control, surgical equipment, waste management, data management and appropriate safety and security.
It will join current desexing efforts already taking place in Northland, with SPCA funding other community desexing initiatives, including a partnership with Bay of Islands Vets and Coast to Coast Rescue to desex 600 animals.
A full schedule of locations and dates for the upcoming Northland tour will be confirmed soon.
Jenny Ling is a news reporter and features writer for the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering roading, health, business and animal welfare issues.
