For the third year in a row, Visiting Veterinarians International will visit St. Croix to help spay, neuter and vaccinate hundreds of dogs and cats, including feral animals, four days next week — Jan. 29 to Feb. 1.
The free clinic will be held at the St. Croix Animal Welfare Center’s property at 155 Castle Coakley. Pet owners can sign up for the procedures, which include neuter surgery, vaccines, and chips for identification and heartworm testing for stray dogs.
Sign up through a link in the advertisement for the event on the Source or Facebook. Scheduling and check-in must be done between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m., and treatments will end at 4 p.m.
“That doesn’t mean you’re getting a specific time slot. It just means we know when to expect you. Walk-ins are welcome,” Becca Hughson, marketing and public relations director for SCAWC, told the Source. She also warned against feeding pets after dinner the night before surgery.
All dogs must be leashed or in a kennel and cats must be in a carrier or trap. Dog, cat or people- aggressive dogs must wear a muzzle. All feral cats must be in a trap – one can be borrowed from SCAWC. Stray pets will be neutered, vaccinated, and tested for heartworm, and cats will also have their ear clipped.
This year, pet owners are required to wait until their pets have recovered from surgery. To relax, SCAWC will set up a tented rest area with tables and chairs with snacks and drinks available, including popcorn, snow cones and hotdogs. Rescue personnel will be allowed to leave if they are picking up other animals.
Hughson said volunteers are still needed to help the 16 veterinarians and the center’s staff treating animals. They are looking for adults over the age of 18 who are comfortable around animals, especially those with a medical or veterinary background. Links on the Facebook page “Events” can be used to schedule pets and sign up to volunteer.
Visiting Veterinarians International members are volunteers and pay their own way to the locations where they provide service for communities with limited services or after a disaster. The nonprofit organization has worked in the Marshall Islands, Belize, Cambodia and Fiji as well as St. Croix.
“As we know, St. Croix has a massive pet overpopulation problem. We’re trying desperately to gain control over it and events like this free spay/neuter event is part of our ongoing effort, but we need the whole community to help us. This is going to be the first of four spay/neuter events we will be holding this year. We plan to be holding one each quarter,” Hughson said.
