Accessible Spay and Neuter Tool-kit

Animal welfare organizations and veterinarians widely agree that a key solution to the crisis of overpopulation and homelessness of companion animals is accessible, affordable spay/neuter surgery. Furthermore, accessible spay/neuter initiatives have positive outcomes for public health and safety, which translates to reduced public spending.

Read the Humane Canada position statement on spay/neuter here.

Humane Canada’s report, The Case for Accessible Spay/Neuter in Canada, lays out the evidence for these benefits and savings, and provides examples of successful initiatives that can be modelled in other communities. The report also makes recommendations for how animal welfare organizations, the veterinary community and governments to advance accessible spay/neuter.

dog and cat

Click on a heading to download each document:

The Case for Accessible Spay/Neuter in Canada
Version française

Executive Summary
Version française

A Veterinary Private Practitioner’s Perspective on Accessible Spay/Neuter
Version française

A City Official’s Perspective on Accessible Spay/Neuter
Version française

The State of Spay/Neuter by the Numbers
Version française

Testimonial:

“The invaluable information gathered in this report provides the foundation for all stakeholders to move forward working together to reduce the number of homeless and stray pets and, ultimately, end the need for euthanasia as a means of population control. By working in partnership, veterinarians, municipalities and animal welfare groups can spearhead efforts through accessible spay/neuter programs to create communities that are safe for everyone – both animals and people.”

Lisa Koch, Executive Director, Regina Humane Society

Take action to advocate for accessible spay/neuter in your community

This section provides tools for you to advocate for accessible spay/neuter initiatives in your community by raising awareness of this critical animal welfare issue with local media and politicians. Key messages for meetings and interviews are provided, along with templates for letters and presentations to decision-makers.

Click on a heading to download each document:

Advocacy advice
Version française

Key Messages for meetings and media interviews
Version française

Template of a letter you can send to decision-makers
Version française

Implementation Tools

This section provides tools to help you implement accessible spay/neuter initiatives in your community.

Community Spay/Neuter Needs Assessment: Tips and Recommendations
Version française
Community Assessment Spreadsheet

Educational Resources
Version française

Marketing Guidance
Version française

Budget Guidance
Version française
Sample inventory for MASH-style clinic

Funding Sources
Version française

Testimonial

“We experience the reality of pet overpopulation every day at our shelter. We firmly believe the key solution that will end the cycle of shelter overcrowding and unnecessary euthanasia will be providing greater opportunities for more pet owners to spay and neuter their pets. We intend to use this report to help ensure that becomes a reality in our province in the very near future.”

– Kelly Mullaly, Former Executive Director, PEI Humane Society

Videos

Below are some inspiring public service announcements and documentary videos about spay/neuter.

BC SPCA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHjsHAlrJEo

Montreal SPCA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O15hwReBJoU

Alberta Spay/Neuter Task Force
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-IMA4zmPM8

Cote Saint-Luc Cats Committee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVt-sxpA930

Webinars

Community Collaborations for the Advancement of Accessible Spay/Neuter
Presented by Kathy Innocente, Animal Care Manager, and LeeAnn Sealey, Clinic Director.

This session will focus on the challenges and successes that shelters may face in collaborating with community veterinarians and rescue organizations. The webinar will share perspectives from both an animal welfare organization and veterinary point of view. Learn what worked and what didn’t, and what they are still learning today.

The Alberta Spay/Neuter Task Force: A Community-Based Solution for Managing Companion Animal Populations
Presented by: Nancy Larsen, President and Co-founder and R.J. Bailot, Executive Director and Co-founder of the Alberta Spay/Neuter Task Force

The Alberta Spay/Neuter Task Force (ASNTF) is a dedicated and compassionate team of volunteer veterinarians, animal health technologists and general volunteers that provide pro-active, community based pet wellness clinics for areas that are experiencing pet overpopulation issues, including First Nation communities. ASNTF’s primary goal is to improve the health and well-being of the dogs and cats in the community and to reduce human health issues that have resulted from this pet overpopulation. The Task Force has the ability to set up a MASH-type surgical unit in a school gym, community centre or other venue within the community to spay and neuter up to 420 animals over one weekend.

Saving Lives Through Prevention: Getting Serious about Cat Spay/Neuter
Presented by: Amy Morris, Manager, Public Policy and Outreach, BC SPCA

This session for sheltering organizations focuses on making an effective transition to a prevention model, specifically around spaying and neutering. It reviews the importance of partnership, technology and data, and effective messaging to create long-term societal change. The webinar uses concrete examples to help you take your spay/neuter program from feeling like a drop in a bucket towards an empty shelter!

Acknowledgements

Funding for this project was generously provided by PetSmart Charities of Canada.
Special thanks to Lisa Koch of Regina Humane Society for her extraordinary contribution to this project.

We would also like to thank the following individuals and organizations for their contributions:
AASAO; Airport Animal Hospital, Regina SK; Alberta Animal Services; Alberta Spay/Neuter Task Force; ASPCA; BC SPCA; Dr. Johanna Booth, Toronto Animal Services / Toronto Street Cats; Calgary Humane Society; Kelly Campbell, PetSmart Charities; Lorne Chow, City of Regina; City of Ottawa Spay/Neuter Clinic; City of Regina; Canadian Veterinary Medical Association; Edmonton Humane Society; Sandra Flemming, Nova Scotia SPCA; Fredericton SPCA; Guelph Humane Society; Humane Alliance; Kelly Mullaly; Kitchener-Waterloo Humane Society; Meow Foundation; Montreal SPCA; Newfoundland Department of Natural Resources; Ontario SPCA; Stephanie Rigby, Prince Edward Island Humane Society; Saskatoon SPCA; SpayAid PEI; Spay Day HRM; University of Guelph Library; Winnipeg Humane Society.

Finally, thank you to our celebrity spokescats Tiny (Fredericton SPCA) and Earl Grey (Spay Day HRM).

Project documents were translated by Pierre René de Cotret.

Design work for this project was provided by: Lola Design and Phil Communications.

Support Humane Canada today so we can create more critical resources like this toolkit!