Dear Friends,
If you’ve been receiving our newsletters for a while, you have undoubtedly heard the phrase “April showers bring May litters.” It’s “kitten season” at TCHS, which sounds adorable (and they are!), but it also means more time and resources are needed from a shelter perspective. Especially for the neonates who require frequent bottle feeding (a huge shout-out to our fosters who take these little ones on!) We are grateful for the deliveries of kitten food, milk replacer, cat litter, and other supplies from our wish list this time of year. A special thank you to those of you who donated to our annual Virtual Kitten Shower!
In our early years, Tri-County Humane Society adopted kittens and puppies out without spaying or neutering them first. Adopters would sign a contract agreeing to do the surgery at their veterinarian of choice before their newly adopted pet turned 6 months of age.
Of course, we had no way of ensuring this happened other than a phone call or two when time allowed, which was rare. Many slipped through the cracks, and, since cats and dogs begin going into heat as early as 4 months of age, our generous six-month time frame resulted in a number of “oops” litters, even for those who had every intention of honoring the adoption agreement they had signed.
In an attempt to reduce pet overpopulation in our community (rather than add to it), we’ve made some changes in how we do things. For over a decade, we have been spaying and neutering all cats, kittens, dogs, puppies, and rabbits prior to adopting them out. This happens as early as 6 weeks of age for puppies and kittens, as long as they are at least 1½ pounds, and as early as 6 months of age for bunnies. Our in-house surgery suite is busy year-round, up to five days a week, performing 3,000+ surgeries each year – most of which are spays/neuters. In 2024, we performed 1,414 spays in our surgery suite and 1,497 neuters!
We estimate that it costs us an average of $75 per spay/neuter surgery, which adds up to a $218,325 investment using last year’s numbers. As we launch into the busiest months of the year, please consider supporting our efforts with a gift for the animals today. We can’t do this work without you!
For the animals, and the people who love them,
Marit Ortega
320-371-0871 (direct)
ed@tricountyhumanesociety.org
