Fresno needs free spay, neutering clinic

The latest leaving of cats at The Cat House on the Kings reminds us again of the need for a free spay and neuter program for cats and dogs who are left to fend for themselves. Whoever brought them to the facility was trying to do the right thing. I thank them for trying.

Unless you can find low-cost spay and neuter services when you need them, an act of kindness can get out of control quickly. And even if you can find low-cost services, I doubt that too many people could afford to have the strays they befriend spayed or neutered and also provide food, water and shelter for them.

The Central California SPCA and Fresno Humane Animal Services are among the agencies in Fresno that pick up dead, injured or lost animals. There are at least 30 pet agencies listed in The Bee each Saturday that are basically doing the same thing – trying to be no-kill shelters.

Why don’t we look at coordinating among all these agencies and local veterinarians to solve this huge problem? Free spay and neutering would reduce the need for many of the services that the pet agencies deal with.

This story was originally published February 23, 2017 at 12:41 PM with the headline "Fresno needs free spay, neutering clinic."