|
Home 
Pit
Bulls
East Bay SPCA Extends the “Pit Fix” to Contra Costa County
Residents
East Bay SPCA Extends the “Pit Fix” to Contra Costa County
Residents
Owners of pit bulls or pit mixes can phone 1-877-4PIT-FIX
for free spay & neuter surgery.
Oakland/Dublin CA (PRWEB) - July 1, 2004 -- The East Bay
SPCA, which has established spay and neuter surgery centers
in both Oakland and in Dublin, announced today that they are
extending the successful “East Bay Pit Fix” program to Contra
Costa county residents. The East Bay Pit Fix was launched
at the beginning of the year, and was initially available
only to Alameda County residents. Now funds have been allocated
to perform free surgeries for pit bull and pit bull mixes
owned by residents of Contra Costa county as well.
Spay and neuter programs around the region have made a huge
dent in the number of homeless dogs and cats in public shelters,
reducing euthanasia in the region by over 50% in seven years.
However, the homeless pit bull population in the East Bay
has increased. It is estimated that the majority of “undesirable”
or “unadoptable” dogs being euthanized in local shelters are
pit bulls or pit bull mixes. Most private shelters in the
region don’t accept pit bulls or pit bull mixes, considering
them undesirable, and the public shelters which have to accept
them are finding they are not easily adopted, leading to euthanasia,
even of healthy dogs.
“No matter how many adoptions our two Adoption Centers perform,
we have a greater responsibility to the community,” says Rachel
Long, East Bay SPCA Director of Operations. “There will never
be enough homes for all the unwanted animals that wind up
in our local shelters. By offering free spay and neuter surgery
to pit bull owners, the East Bay SPCA hopes to tackle the
problem by encouraging owners to take advantage of the benefits
of the surgery, such as decreased aggression, “even when finances
are a factor,” adds Long.
Animal welfare organizations have long emphasized that spay/neuter
programs are the key to solving the euthanasia of homeless
animals. One unspayed female dog, even by conservative calculations,
can potentially be responsible for the birth of more than
67,000 dogs in just six years. People who breed their dogs,
intentionally or unintentionally, contribute to the problem
when their dogs remain unaltered or are given away unaltered.
Pit bull and pit bull mix owners can make an appointment
for a free surgery by calling 1-877-4-PIT-FIX and asking for
the “Pit Fix,” or by going to www.eastbayspca.org/thefix
for more information.
About the East Bay SPCA
The East Bay SPCA includes two shelters and three clinics,
including the Oakland SPCA and Tri-Valley SPCA in Dublin.
Founded in 1874, the East Bay SPCA is dedicated to finding
a responsible, loving home for every adoptable dog and cat
in our community. The East Bay SPCA is a non-profit organization
and receives no government funding. To reach our Adoption
Center, call (510) 569-0702 or (925) 479-9670. To view our
animals on line, visit www.eastbayspca.org.
|
