Humane Services Encourages Control of Pet Population

The City of St. John’s Humane Services Division of the Department of Community Services is encouraging residents to help control the pet population.

“We have seen an increase in the number of kittens, in particular, coming to the shelter recently,” say Deputy Mayor Ron Ellsworth, chair of the Animal Care and Control Committee. “We strongly encourage residents to have their pets spayed or neutered to reduce issues of pet overpopulation, but also because it provides positive medical and behavioural benefits.”

Some of the positive benefits of spaying or neutering your pet include:

• It reduces overpopulation. It is estimated that cats breed at 45 times the rate of humans, while dogs breed at 15 times the rate of humans. Many pets cannot find good homes, so dogs and cats need our help to ensure their numbers are reduced to a level that allows all pets to find owners to love them.
• Dogs and cats that are spayed and neutered live longer, healthier lives. On average a dog will live one to three years longer, while a cat will live three to five years longer than a similar pet which was not spayed or neutered. Sterilized animals have a very low to no risk of pyometra (a severe life threatening uterine infection), mammary gland tumors and various cancers.
• Pets who have been spayed or neutered are better behaved, as it decreases their urge to roam, which in turn reduces the risk of contracting diseases or getting injured. Surveys indicate that as high as 85 per cent of all dogs which are hit by a car have not been spayed or neutered.

“Residents who qualify as low income can have their pets spayed or neutered through a reduced-cost program at the City,” says Deputy Mayor Ellsworth. “Application forms are available on the City website or at the Humane Services Shelter at 81 Higgins Line.”

Due to the high number of kittens currently available at the shelter, the City is also offering a discount to residents during the month of November. Kittens under the age of six months can be adopted at a cost of $60 – half the normal price. All kittens are vet checked, feline leukemia tested, vaccinated, flea treated and dewormed. 

For further information:
Jennifer Mills
Communications Officer
City of St. John's
Phone: (709) 570-2037
Cell: (709) 690-7586
E-mail: jmills@stjohns.ca

Ron Ellsworth
Deputy Mayor
Chair, Animal Care and Control Committee
City of St. John’s
Phone: (709) 576-8363
E-mail: rellsworth@stjohns.ca