Peg Wheeler, owner of Red Barn Pet Services, has helped organize a spay and neuter clinic for low income residents. The two “Spay Days” are scheduled for Saturday, August 24 and Saturday, September 7 at the Berwick Police Department. Residents can drop their cat off at the police department Saturday morning to be taken for treatment at a local clinic. Pets will be transported back to the police station that same day for pick up. The cost is $20 per pet. However, openings are limited.
“There have been very positive results in other towns that have implemented spay days,” said Wheeler. “If we could make this work in Berwick, we could have a big impact on the problem.”
Wheeler was inspired to take action when she saw the positive effect Rebecca Chassey from Voice for Animals had on the feral cat population at the transfer station. Chassey trapped dozens of feral cats at the transfer station, transported them to a spay and neuter clinic, and released them to “host families” that have previously agreed to manage the wild cats.
“Rebecca is one of those unsung heros,” said Wheeler. “She pretty much single-handedly solved what would have become a huge town problem.”
Wheeler said that her shelter has received “buckets of cats” from the transfer station, many of them sick and in need of medical care. After the cats are treated, Wheeler takes the cats to a location where they can be managed by sponsors. The cats are fed in a cage for two days at a pre-arranged location and then released on the hopes that they will remain in that area.
“Once a cat becomes feral, it can't make the transition to domestic pet,” explained Wheeler.
According to Wheeler, most of the stray cat populations are found in areas surrounding low income housing. Currently, landlords in Berwick are not required to ask potential tenants to provide proof that their pet has been spayed or neutered. Wheeler believes that if this were a requirement, it would greatly reduce the problem.
The Spay Days in Berwick were funded largely in part by the Animal Welfare Society’s Cleo Fund. However, Berwick Police Benevolent Association and Red Barn Pet Services also each made a $200 donation toward the cause. It’s Wheeler’s hope that the sponsored “Spay Days” in Berwick will be an annual event.
“If we keep chipping away at the problem we might be able to eventually eliminate the issue,” said Wheeler. “Doing nothing is not the answer.”
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To reserve a place in the program, qualified individuals should call the Animal Welfare Society at 207-985-3244 extension 120.
Spay/neuter programs are an excellent first step, but trap and release and subsequent "management" of feral cats extend the damage to Berwick's natural wildlife communities.
ReplyDeleteBirds, small mammals, and other small animals suffer badly when cats are released into their habitat. The owls, hawks, and other predators that prey upon small creatures in a balanced ecosystem also find new competition from cats that don't belong there.
Pet owner responsibility is key, but frequently lacking. It's heartening to know that the Berwick Police Benevolent Association and Red Barn Pet Services, with help from the Animal Welfare Society, are picking up after the irresponsible, but releasing those treated animals back into the wild is a solution that creates more problems than it solves.