Spay or neuter your pet for free on World Spay Day

At the OSPCA Barrie Animal Centre veterinary teams performed about 250 free spay and neuter surgeries in one day.

Tuesday marks an important day in the animal world to control the overpopulation of pets.

The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society are marking World Spay Day by offering services for those that may not be able to access the veterinarian care.

The organization is offering 227 free spay and neuter surgeries across Ontario including in Barrie, which will help to prevent 12,000 unplanned puppies and kittens who could very well end up in shelters.

The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society Marion Vernon Memorial Animal Clinic, a spay and neuter clinic, performed 27 free spay and neuter surgeries all for free.

In addition, the organization offered free microchips and rabies vaccinations to pet families.

Jenna Handiak, the operations manager of the animal clinic, said a female cat can have upwards of 120 kittens and a female dog can have 80 puppies in their lifetimes.

“By preventing unplanned pregnancies, that helps the animals and their overall health and wellbeing,” said Handiak.

Experts at the animal clinic say it’s important to help effectively manage the overpopulation of pets.

“When people are overwhelmed with litters they weren’t expecting, they then end up in the streets or potentially in the shelters which can also overwhelm the shelters.”

In addition to free spay and neuter services, which were supported by Royal Canin and other generous donors, the Ontario SPCA was also able to provide free microchips, courtesy of 24Petwatch, as well as free rabies vaccinations and canine distemper vaccinations, provided by Boehringer Ingelheim.

The Ontario SPCA is a registered charity and relies on donors for funding and to offer days like World Spay Day.