The Disadvantages and Risks of Low-Cost Spay and Neuter
You’ve probably heard the expression “What you don’t know can hurt you.” And, in the case of free and low-cost spay and neuter clinics, what you don’t know can hurt your pet.
Free and low-cost spay and neuter facilities rose out of the need for pet population control. Clinics like these are often funded by grants and municipal and state funding specific to pet overpopulation. While the mission itself is a noble one, the sheer numbers of animals seen by such clinics overwhelm, and the care received by each individual pet often is lacking.
Low-cost clinics are often primarily focused on basic services in spay and neuter surgeries or rabies vaccinations. They are meant to provide services to those who rescue strays in volume or low-income families that might not otherwise be able to spay/neuter or vaccinate their pets.
The temptation, however, for the public is the “free” or “low-cost” tag-lines. Unfortunately, low fees often translate into basic or substandard care for your pet.