The Callaway County Humane Society has a bold New Year's resolution: Spay or neuter 365 dogs in 2019.
"This is one of the answers to reducing the number of loose animals in the county," said Sandy Corbet, CCHS president.
To accomplish this lofty goal, CCHS has teamed up with three area vet clinics to offer discounted rates for spays and neuters. Participation is easy: Download and send in a form on the CCHS website (bit.ly/CCHScoupon) to receive a $25-off coupon, then make an appointment at a participating clinic, mentioning Spay-a-Day.
Midwest, Millersburg and Callaway veterinary clinics have each agreed to reduce the cost of the procedure for a certain number of pooches.
"They're each sharing a third of the load," Corbet explained.
While procedure prices vary at the clinics, the two discounts should add up to about $45-$50 off the total cost.
Mary Simpson, a vet tech at Midwest Veterinary Clinic, said the clinic is excited to participate in the program. Spaying and neutering has benefits beyond merely reducing the number of unwanted puppies, she said.
"For females, it decreases the risk of pyometra, a type of uterine infection," she said.
In males, neutering may decrease aggression, scent marking and wanderlust.
CCHS has offered the $25-off vouchers year-round for a while, Corbet said, and has already seen good results. Making spays and neuters more accessible results in fewer strays, she said.
"Even with vouchers, we've seen a decrease in calls for stray animals over the last few years," she said.
Corbet hopes for high participation - not just for dogs' sake, but for the humane society as well.
"Because we don't have a shelter, we don't qualify for many of the big grants," she said. "We're hoping that down the road, those big organizations that give the big grants will look at us and see that we're being proactive about spay and neuter."
Don't have a dog? For cats, the Callaway County Humane Society has the similar Beat the Heat event each spring.
For more information about either program, contact CCHS at 573-826-5656.