LAKE COUNTY — Veterinarians started performing spaying and neutering procedures last week in the new Animal Care and Control in-house medical clinic.
“I love it. I think it”s absolutely great. Our community has been needing it,” department director Bill Davidson said Friday.
The two-room clinic consists of an area for holding, exams and office work as well as a separate surgery space.
The facility”s primary purpose is two-fold: spaying and neutering dogs and cats, and fulfilling the medical needs of animals brought into the shelter, according to Davidson.
Currently, the clinic is not open for general use by the public.
Veterinarian Anthony Wong, the Animal Care and Control medical program director, said that “most but not all (medical procedures) can be fulfilled by our current setup and equipment.”
Wong”s associate, Richard Bachman, performed the first two procedures in the clinic, neutering two male cats on March 7. To date, 19 surgeries have been completed in the facility.
Davidson said the goal is to maintain a steady stream of 25 to 27 surgeries weekly. Procedures will occur on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
The spaying and neutering can take place before an animal is adopted or after it”s been selected for adoption from the shelter, according to Davidson.
By April, three local rescue groups will each receive vouchers for two surgeries per week, he added.
District 3 Supervisor Denise Rushing, who toured the new facility for the first time Friday, said, “It”s a professional office and we”re pleased that it”s opening up. It”s great for the shelter animals.”
The clinic — one aspect of Animal Care and Control”s in-house medical program — helps the agency attain goals such as cost efficiency, lowering adoption prices, increasing adoptions and decreasing euthanasia rates, according to Davidson.
The department can now complete about 80 percent of the medical treatments required for stray animals in house, Davidson said. The remaining 20 percent are after hours or emergency and will be outsourced, he added.
By moving most of those medical costs in house, Animal Care and Control has been able to reduce adoption prices.
As of March 5, people could adopt male cats for $96 and females for $106. Those prices include a rabies vaccine and county adoption, spaying or neutering and microchip fees.
The previous prices were $114 for male felines and $174 for females. Those totals did not include a rabies vaccination.
Dog adoption prices also dropped.
As of March 5, a male pooch cost $146 and a female either $156 or $171 (depending on if it weighs more or less than 60 pounds). Those costs include a rabies vaccine, heartworm test, license, and county adoption, spaying or neutering and microchip fees.
The old prices were $208 for male dogs and $246 for all females. They did not include the heartworm test.
The Board of Supervisors recently approved of an Animal Care and Control adoption amnesty period happening four times a year. During the weeklong window, the county adoption fee will be waived.
Davidson said the amnesty weeks have not been scheduled but he hopes to hold the first in May.
The clinic also offers two or three spay or neuter surgeries per week for community feral cats.
Citizens can call and try to schedule a procedure for “unsocial, unhandleable cats” as availability permits, Davidson said. Those cats would receive an “ear notch” and be spayed or neutered and vaccinated, he added.
The shelter had 25 cats and 46 dogs as of Friday afternoon. Other animals housed there included four roosters, 10 hens, a goat with a broken leg and one emu — the agency”s third since the fall, Davidson said.
Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush Drive in unincorporated Lakeport, behind the county jail. It is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call the agency at 263-0278.
