Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
15 <br />• Counseling and resources for pet owners who are considering whether to surrender <br />their pet to Orange County's Animal Services Center. Whether there is a need to <br />modify an undesirable behavior or obtain discounted food in lean economic times, <br />given its resources and other responsibilities, Animal Services may support and <br />facilitate such activities but it is not capable of providing them. <br />• Education programs oriented toward spaying and neutering as an integral element of <br />safe and responsible pet ownership in our own and other communities. However, <br />these programs will only be available if another organization takes the initiative to <br />provide them, ideally in partnership with the County's Animal Services Department. <br />Beginning in 2009, the Animal Services Advisory Board set itself the objective of <br />meeting with current and potential partners. This is an important ongoing endeavor not <br />only in regard to the specific kinds of partnerships mentioned above but any <br />partnerships that relates to a program element of this strategic plan. <br />Veterinarians <br />In order for the strategic spay/neuter plan to have the greatest overall impact, it must <br />include forming partnerships and bridging communication with local veterinarians. This <br />does not mean that veterinarians will necessarily perform surgeries to further the plan's <br />objectives. Rather it may mean that they will understand the plan and hopefully work <br />with their existing and new clients to promote awareness and stress the importance of <br />spay/neuter at an early age. A few examples of how veterinarians can help increase <br />such awareness and thus increase the effectiveness of a spay/neuter plan include: <br />• Promoting earlier spay/neuter for clients. Many veterinarians recommend pets be <br />spayed and neutered at or after 6 months of age, and recommending a younger age <br />of 4 months can make a difference in preventing unwanted early litters from juvenile <br />mothers. <br />• Recommending pediatric spay/neuter when appropriate.9 <br />• Being knowledgeable of low-cost spay/neuter options and recommending them when <br />appropriate. <br />Volunteer Program <br />Our volunteer program is an excellent way for members of community to involve <br />themselves in the County's Animal Services endeavor. With respect to efforts to <br />promote spay and neuter within Orange County, volunteers have already played a <br />s The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has a positive policy on the pediatric spay/neuter <br />of dogs and cats (http://www.avma.org/issues/policy/animal_welfare/spay_neuter.asp). Specifically, it <br />"supports the concept of pediatric spay/neuter in dogs and cats in an effort to reduce the number of <br />unwanted animals of these species. Just as for other veterinary medical and surgical procedures, <br />veterinarians should use their best medical judgment in deciding at what age spay/neuter should be <br />performed on individual animals." <br />13 <br />