NEWS & EVENTS > NEWS RELEASES Letter to the Editor: March 13, 2006 To the Times: In light of all the negative press regarding the issues of stray cats in our area, I'd like to share a very positive story. On Saturday, March 11th, the first free public spay/neuter clinic for cats took place right here in Delaware County. It was a tremendous success, and we were able to spay/neuter 52 cats plus provide rabies vaccinations and other care during the all-day event in Colwyn. Animal Rescue Foundation of SE PA, Inc. (ARF), a 501(c)(3) all-volunteer nonprofit organization, coordinated the idea to bring low-cost spay/neuter to areas of the county with a high number of stray cats brought to shelters such as the SPCA each month. In many cases, residents of these areas cannot afford the extra cost of a spay/neuter surgery, or they do not have transportation to a veterinarian. We addressed both issues by bringing in a licensed mobile veterinary clinic and providing services to the public free of charge. The response from the residents of the Darby/Colwyn area was outstanding. We saw residents walk for blocks with their pets in carriers to participate in the clinic. One woman rode up in a taxi and cried as she thanked us for helping her. Her cats had already had litters in the past and she didn't have the money for the spay/neuter surgery to stop the cycle. It demonstrated that, if provided with access to resources, pet owners in our community will get their pet spayed or neutered to prevent unwanted kittens from being born again and again. It took the effort and teamwork of many different organizations to make this happen. Colwyn Fire Co. No. 1 graciously hosted the clinic and its volunteer firefighters assisted our ARF volunteers throughout the day. Delaware County Animal Control went door to door and passed out flyers informing residents about the free clinic opportunity. The Spayed Club used their grant money to help fund the event so it could remain free to the public. Finally, a wonderful organization called Cats With No Name drove their van two hours each way from Schuylkill County to provide licensed veterinary services. ARF volunteers worked a long, hard day on their feet from 7am until 6pm to facilitate the clinic and ensure its smooth operation. Teamwork is the key to improving the state of unwanted, orphaned pets in our area. It was wonderful to bear witness to many different organizations, from rescue to animal control, teaming up for one common goal: to reduce the number of unwanted pets in our community through aggressive spay/neuter programs. ARF's goal is to purchase our own spay/neuter van so we can do clinics every weekend in every part of our county. This program is available to every municipality in our area that wants our help. Interested parties are invited to call ARF at (610)994-4300 to learn more and to schedule a free spay/neuter clinic for residents in their area. It's through the teamwork of everyone in our community that the problem of homeless and unwanted pets can finally be resolved. Jen Coccodrilli Contact:
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