By By GREG KATSKI
Community Editor
CHOCOWINITY — Animal hospitals across Beaufort County are celebrating February as National Spay/Neuter Awareness Month by significantly reducing costs of getting a pet spayed or neutered.
Chocowinity Veterinary Hospital, Pamlico Animal Hospital and Tar River Animal Hospital are participating in the national campaign.
Beaufort County Animal Control Director Sandra Woolard said the county has an over-population problem with pets, especially cats and dogs. The county took in 3,543 animals last year, adopting out 800 and euthanizing 2,532. An additional 189 animals were reclaimed by their owners. Of the 2,532 animals euthanized, 1,002 were cats, 643 were dogs, 489 were kittens and 398 were puppies.
Spaying and neutering helps quell the county’s ever-increasing cat and dog populations, keeps them from straying and keeps them healthy, Woolard said.
Tar River Animal Hospital has been reducing its spay-neuter costs every February since the national campaign began, said Judy MacAdam, office manager. She said it gives pet owners an opportunity to “take care of the situation,” and, if not, be held accountable for Beaufort County’s over-population problem.
Tar River Animal Hospital is offering up to 33 percent off the normal cost to spay/neuter a dog or cat.
Dr. Christy Barnt, a veterinarian and co-owner of Chocowinity Veterinary Hospital, said her clinic is offering 30 percent off the normal costs through Feb. 28. Depending on the weight, it costs from $114 to $137 to get a dog spayed and from $104 to $126 to get a dog neutered. It costs $104 to get a cat spayed and $58 to get a cat neutered.
Barnt said the animal hospital has seen a dramatic increase in such procedures from last month to this month.
“We’ve done quite a few already,” she said.
Barnt said the animal hospital has been seeing eight to 12 dogs and cats a day since Monday.
At Pamlico Animal Hospital, Dr. Nicole McQueen said it averages four or five surgeries a day, but since Monday it is handling 10 to 14 procedures a day.
The animal hospital is offering 28 percent off normal spay/neuter costs. Depending on the weight, its costs from $114 to $151 to get a dog spayed and from $112 to $121 to get a dog neutered. It costs $96 to get a cat spayed and $55 to get a cat neutered.
The aforementioned animal hospitals do not accept walk-ins for spaying/neutering.