Discounted desexing for pets

Killarney vet David Thomson is part of the RSPCA program, offering lower fees on desexing. Picture: TERRY WEST

By SONJA KOREMANS

DO your pets and hip pocket a favour by taking advantage of discounted desexing being offered by local vets.
Killarney Veterinary Surgery, Stanthorpe Vet Care and Warwick Town and Country Vets are offering lower fees on desexing to help combat the over-population of pets in Queensland animal refuges.
Nearly 200 vets across the state are participating in the RSPCA’s three-month program: Operation: Wanted, reducing desexing fees by 20 per cent from next month to the end of August.
Killarney vet David Thomson said desexing was not only kind on pets by increasing their life expectancy, but benefited the environment, reducing the number of feral cats and dogs.
“Pet owners in the local area are pretty responsible when it comes to desexing,” Mr Thomson said.
“But I wanted to be part of the campaign to help raise awareness as feral and abandoned cats and dogs are a growing problem in Queensland,” Mr Thomson said.
Some farmers still refuse to have working dogs desexed for misconceived fears that the animal would lose its herding ability, Mr Thomson said.
“If an owner is in two minds because of the costs involved or personal views, then this program is designed to help them make the right decision and save some money at the same time,” Mr Thomson said.
Desexed animals are less likely to contract certain diseases and illnesses such as mammary cancer and uterine infections in females and prostate problems in males, Mr Thomson said.
Stanthorpe Vet Kirstin Widderick said pet owners could save up to $70 on desexing a pet during the program.
“It’s never too late to get your dog or cat desexed and it makes a huge difference to their quality of life,” Ms Widderick said.
“We see dogs that aren’t desexed being badly injured because they go onto the roads and get hit by cars, the females get mated by other dogs and contract infections, while the males end up mauled in fights.
“Often desexing is an affordability issue, so programs like this are designed to make it very accessible to everyone.“
The RSPCA hopes 30,000 extra animals will be desexed across the state during campaign.
Last year, the program was trialled in nine shires across Queensland.
For more information and to find out which vets are participating, visit: www.operationwanted.com.au