Dogs are finally having their day with low-cost spay/neuter

If you want to spay or neuter your dog, be ready to shell out anywhere between $150 and $700, depending on the dog’s size, gender, breed and age, according to Dogster. Even with the help of a Long Beach Animal Care Services (LBACS) voucher, which is about $60 for dogs, you’ll still be left with a sizeable copay, even at low-cost clinics. This is often a deterrent for people who want to get their dog fixed and can’t afford the copayment.

“One of the problems we have in Long Beach is that a lot of people still don’t appreciate how dire this is,” Ashley Craig said. “If you live in a low-income area where people can’t get their dogs fixed, then their dogs have puppies, and their neighbors and friends take the puppies, and they breed.”

And eventually, a lot of them wind up abandoned. The lucky ones make it to LBACS, which is already overcrowded with dogs. In her work as a volunteer at LBACS, Craig regularly sees the results firsthand, and for years had worked on finding a way to help the situation.

With the support of Friends of Long Beach Animals (FOLBA), the venerable nonprofit that supports spay/neuter, shelter adoption, humane education and all things Long Beach animal, Craig recently started Get em Fixed, a community organization that provides extremely low-cost spay neuter for dogs to people who couldn’t otherwise afford the procedure. For a fee of $50, a dog, no matter the size, breed, gender or age, can get fixed at one of the three veterinary clinics whose veterinarians have stepped up to assist. FOLBA takes care of the balance.

Craig’s organization fixes dogs exclusively. Cats, she said, are being ably served by Helen Sanders Cat Paws and The Little Lion Foundation’s spay/neuter cat clinics, but there’s no one else in Long Beach doing it for dogs.

Craig grew Get em Fixed out of her conviction that spaying and neutering both cats and dogs is key to mitigating pet overpopulation in shelters and the number abandoned to the streets.

“The tap needs to be turned off,” she said. “To me, it’s so incredibly logical: if we can get dogs fixed, we can stop the overpopulation and we can save our communities from a lot of frustration and financial peril.”

Craig was, shall we say, dogged in her efforts when she started brainstorming. She contacted people who wanted to fix their unaltered pets and ferried them to a low-cost vet in Los Angeles. Finding that unsustainable, she researched organizing a major spay/neuter event that would take place over a few days but realized that it would be too much for a couple of people to plan. A low-cost spay/neuter day at Amazing Small Animal Practice in Gardena with the support of Old Blue, Inc., a rescue that Craig was involved with, was a success, but it was a one-off offering.

Then, Craig came up with Best in Show.

“I started thinking, what’s the best way this will work?” she said. “I concluded that creating a website where people can apply is the most efficient way. It’s putting the onus on the owner — they have to apply, they have to pay something, and we make the appointment.”

Craig set up a database and contacted FOLBA. FOLBA connected Craig with veterinarians from Bixby Animal Hospital, All American Animal Hospital and Sun Surf Veterinary Hospital, who signed on to perform the spay/neuter procedures. FOLBA agreed to provide funding for the project.

“The FOLBA board were unanimous in our decision to financially support Ashley's Get 'em fixed program and help our community members and their fur babies,” FOLBA president Lauren Campbell said.

To apply to fix your dog, access this link and fill out the form, which is bilingual English/Spanish. Then, sit by your email inbox and wait for a confirmation message. Follow the instructions in the message, pay the $50, and you’re in!

If your dog has a special condition such as cryptorchidism, where one or both testicles don’t descend, there may be an extra copay. The only requirements are that you and the dog must live in Long Beach, you must have transportation to and from the vet, and the dog must have proof of their shots as required by law. LBACS hosts low-cost vaccination clinics provided by Community Animal Medicine Project (CAMP) several times a week. Access this link for the schedule.

Charge for the vaccines run somewhere around $60 depending on needs. That will leave you with a vet bill of about $110, which beats the pants off $700 or whatever you’d pay for a vet visit, shots and spay/neuter.

When Craig launched Get em Fixed, both she and Campbell wondered if people would show up, but they mobbed the website. Craig said that word got out through social media, and by the third month, the schedule completely filled up.

LBACS’ animal control officers spread the word as well. They carry Get em Fixed business cards in their vehicles and hand them out to residents with unaltered pets.

“With the rising costs of veterinary treatment, our officers are always looking for low-cost spay/neuter options to share with our community members,” said Erin Kelleher, senior animal control officer at Parks, Recreation and Marine’s Field Services Department. “As the officers are enforcing our mandatory spay and neuter laws (LBMC 6.16.085), Get em Fixed has been a wonderful addition to help those community member come into compliance.”

Kelleher agreed with Craig that, along with the affordable option for the community that Get em Fixed provides, the more animals that get fixed, the fewer dogs will enter the shelter. In three months, 65 dogs of all sizes won’t be seeding the community and filling the shelter with more unwanted dogs, thanks to Get em Fixed. The “sweet spot,” Craig said, comprises young female dogs, especially in districts where most of the dogs come from.

“I heard that you’d have to convince people to fix their dogs, but I haven’t had that problem,” Craig said. “I know there are people who won’t, but I’m pleasantly surprised by those who do. I barely reach out — I put a post on Nextdoor and had to shut it down after a couple of days because I got so many applications.”

As with everything animal and Long Beach, it’s all about community partnership. Craig hopes to bring in donations and grants and also volunteers to help with phone calls and organizing. She has one volunteer assistant, but if other low-cost clinic successes are any indication, Get em Fixed will soon need more.

“FOLBA is uniquely positioned to grow this effort by building on the strong foundation we already have within the community and our veterinary network,” Campbell said. “We will continue to act as a central hub that connects and pays for pet owners in need with trusted clinics while gradually expanding partnerships using proven success stories Ashley brought this vision to life; her passion and determination are unmatched, and she fought hard to turn this idea into a real, functioning program.”

Access this link to fix your dog through Get em Fixed. A donation link on the Get em Fixed website goes directly to FOLBA, and you can specify the project as the recipient of the donation.

YOURS DROOLY

Spay/neuter efforts like Get em Fixed lower the number of shelter dogs by turning off the faucets. But there’s still a lot of water in the tub, and no one wants to pull the plug. That’s what adoption is for. So, if you’ll excuse another metaphor, you can help bail out the shelter and its pets in the best way: by adopting or fostering one of the many dogs in the kennels.

Here are three special Long Beach Animal Care Services (LBACS) candidates, two of whom are in foster placement. Adopt any of them, and you’re making room, either for another dog or for a little more peace and quiet in the kennels. To foster or adopt any pet at LBACS, email PetAdopt@longbeach.gov or petfoster@longbeach.gov. You can also call 562-570-4925. Better yet, come down and meet them to see how great they are. LBACS hours are Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 7700 E. Spring St. at the entrance to El Dorado Park (no parking fee for shelter visitors). This month, LBACS is featuring a St. Paddy’s Day special: $17 adoption fee for any dog and $7 fee for any cat who’s been at the shelter 30 days or longer.

Onyx (ID#A735201) has been in foster for a few weeks, and his foster family adores him. So do the LBACS dog volunteers because he’s a good boy. He’s a longtime legend, as the long-stay dogs at LBACS are called — over a year in a kennel. Once he got used to the concept of house dog, he proved himself to be a calm companion.

But in the middle of his stay, his leg became swollen and he couldn’t use it. He was diagnosed with cancer in that leg, and his survival depended on amputation. The shelter contacted FOLBA, and they covered Onyx’s medical experiences. (The volunteers and staff want to express their gratitude.) The video was taken only six days after the surgery, and as you can see, Onyx doesn’t seem to have any mobility issues! Onyx is considered a senior at 7 years old, but he’s obviously young at heart and everywhere else. Can you make it permanent and give him some really golden years?

Fuchsia (ID#A736006) is a lovable, spunky girl full of confidence and charm. She’s always seeking attention, whether it’s a belly rub, a cuddle or just admiration. Fuchsia, too, is in temporary foster, where she loves connecting with her folks. She’d do best in a home where her people will be consistent in training and will take her off on adventures. that’s excited to bond through consistent training and shared adventures. Fuchsia loves to learn new things, and with the right guidance, she’ll blossom like her name suggests!

Moonbeam (ID#A750038) is a happy, active, 1-year-old girl with a big heart and an even bigger zest for life. She loves people, has done well with other dogs, and is always excited to learn something new. One great thing about Moonbeam is the time under her belt — or collar — that she spent with K9 Kismet’s DIESEL Project, a specialized training program created to give a well-deserved paw up to LBACS shelter dogs with tons of potential.

Moonbeam spent two weeks working with a professional trainer, polishing her manners and building the skills she needs to thrive in a home environment. Here she is with volunteer Mary telling her about what she hopes to get out of all that training — a forever home. Her adopter will receive a complimentary training session with her instructor to help ensure a smooth transition to that home.

TAIL-WAGGIN' AND NOSE-BOOPIN' EVENTS

Pet Loss and Illness Support Group

The worst day in the life you share with a pet is the day you have to say goodbye forever. Grief is personal on the one hand, and on the other hand, you have a lot of company who get what you’re going through. Helen Sanders CatPAWS rescue gets it, too, and offers a space for anyone who also gets it, who’ll never say to you, “But it was just a cat.” Or a dog, or a rabbit, or a horse, or a goldfish. The members of this group will listen, connect, and support you, and you’ll do the same for them.

The Pet Loss and Illness Support Group takes place Saturday, March 21, at 11 a.m. in the library room at Bay Shore Community Congregational Church, 5100 E. The Toledo, Long Beach. No cost for the meeting, but let the leads know that you’re coming here.

Let’s go bowling with Helen Sanders CatPAWS!

When your cat sits up straight, their little head pointing upward, do you think of bowling pins? When they knock the cup that holds your pens to the floor, do you suddenly yell “Strike!”? If you do, you’ll love this event! Helen Sanders CatPAWS 13^th Annual Bowling Fundraiser will give you a great way to focus and vent your energy and support this nonprofit rescue at the same time. Shoes and a snack are included!

Hate bowling? Come anyway and cheer your team on! Bid on silent auction items, and win a prize for your bowling skill or lack of same. Funds will support CatPAWS’ spay/neuter programs for community cats and owned cats and will pay the medical bills for the rescued cats, which will turn them into the adorable adoptables you can see on their Adoptions page and in person at the Seal Beach PetSmart. Purchase tickets here.

CatPAWS’ 13^th Annual Bowling Fundraiser takes place Saturday, March 21, 3 p.m.–6 p.m. at Westminster Lanes, 6471 Westminster Blvd., Westminster. Ticket prices $45 for bowlers, $25 for non-bowlers. Snack is included in both tickets.

Running for the Rescues

Support our wonderful dog rescues by going the extra mile — or 10 of them, or a quantity of kilometers — in the Running for the Rescues races, with our own K9 Kismet dog rescue (and rehabber) as the organization’s official partner and beneficiary of the funds. Compete in one of four races, from 5K to Half-Marathon and be literally in the running for a shiny medal! A fully stocked water station is located along the course; the finish line will also have an aid station stocked with water, electrolytes, gels and fruit snacks. A first-aid kit is ready at each station, and all High Tides crew members have received CPR training. Proceeds benefit rescues. Access this link for registration and race information.

Running for the Rescues opens Sunday, March 29 at 6:20 a.m. at Claremont Beach, 5400 E. Ocean Ave., Long Beach. Parking is available in the beach lot beginning at 8 a.m. at $2/hour. Runners in the Half-Marathon and 10 mile run may use the Passport app to pay for parking. Street parking is free.

Need a low-cost veterinarian, information about trapping community cats, places to volunteer, pet food, veterinary assistance, rescues and shelters to adopt from — anything pet related? Follow this link for resources. Please add your own ideas in the Comments section.