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The Bow Valley SPCA wants all dogs and cats that are not being bred to be spayed and neutered to avoid unwanted offspring. but they know that the costs can be prohibitive to some pet owners in the community.

So the BVSPCA is offering the subsidized Spay/ Neuter Assistance Program, (SNAP). The outreach program was developed with grant money and the cooperation of the Bow River Veterinary Centre and the Canmore Veterinary Hospital.

The typical fee for spaying a large female dog is around $350 and about $260 for a cat. Neutering fees are slightly cheaper.

The community outreach to spay and neuter dogs and cats for low income families is an essential part of our mandate; Lauren Laming, president of the board of directors said .

"Of course we are best recognized for accepting abandoned and stray dogs and cats and housing them until we can find their 'forever home'. But part of our mission is to insure the number of these abandoned animals does not increase, and we must develop outreach programs to achieve that goal.

Families are asked to pay as much as they can towards the fees and the BVSPCA will pay the rest. Once their application is accepted, they will be given a voucher to take their dog or cat to the vet within 30 days. The pet will also get a number tattoo in its ear for easy identification. "If you are a family of four and making $30,000 a year and you have two dogs, you may not be able to pay for spaying or neutering your pet," she said.

The number of dogs and cats that are abandoned far exceed the capacity of shelters in Canada to house them.

"Thus tens of thousands of otherwise adoptable pets are killed every year because the capacity of the shelters and rescue organization is exceeded," Laming said. "Although the Bow Valley SPCA is a no-kill facility, meaning that dogs or cats are not euthanized to make more space for newly surrendered animals, it does reach its maximum capacity and thus will delay the intake of potential surrenders until space becomes available."

According to Laming, part of the solution to pet overpopulation must include prevention. Spaying and neutering dogs and cats is the best way to assure a reduced number of abandoned animals.

"It also leads to a better life for the dogs and cats that undergo this surgery," Laming said. Statistics show that altered dogs live 1-3 years longer and altered cats 3-5 years longer.

In addition, sterilizing dogs and cats reduces their urge to roam and become injured by passing cars. Surveys show that as many as 85% of dogs hit by cars are unaltered.

Applications for the Spay/Neuter Assistance Program are available in Canmore at the Carla Cumming Sojonky Adoption Centre, the Canmore Veterinary Hospital, the Bow River Veterinary Centre,and Family and Community Support Services.

They may be picked up in Banff at Banff Veterinary Services.

For more information on the Bow Valley SPCA, please visit www.bowvalleyspca.org.