Spay and neuter fee may rise

By Treena Shapiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

Increasing the price for the city's spay and neuter certificate could lead to an increase in the unwanted cat and dog population, the Hawaiian Humane Society and animal-rights advocates say.

The move is expected to generate an additional $129,067 to help balance the $1.169 billion operating budget for the fiscal year starting July 1.

The new fees are equal to the amount that veterinarians participating in the program charge the city for performing the surgeries.

Low-income residents will have the opportunity to have their pets spayed and neutered for $20. The bill is aimed at providing an affordable way for lower-income residents to have their pets sterilized and eliminating the subsidy to pet owners who can afford the full price.

The measure is the result of a compromise between the council and the administration, which had earlier proposed eliminating the subsidy for everyone regardless of income.

The "Neuter Now" certificates are available at satellite city halls and at the Hawaiian Humane Society and are honored by 36 veterinarians on O'ahu.

Last year, 8,467 surgeries were performed through the program.

Under the measure, the city will continue to provide $20 certificates to pet owners who receive public assistance.

City spokeswoman Carol Costa said that the city has not tracked the income level of the people who purchase the certificates, but based on a 1997 humane society survey, perhaps one-quarter are low-income pet owners.

Even with the increase, the cost of the certificates still will be less than the regular charges for the sterilization surgery, which generally costs more than $200, according to the humane society.

Veterinarians in the city program generally provide the discounted surgeries as a public service.

Hawaiian Humane Society President Pamela Burns said yesterday that she was concerned about how the proposed increases would affect participation by the community and veterinarians.

"The city's low-cost spay-neuter program has provided for more than 150,000 cat and dog sterilization surgeries since its inception (in 1985), resulting in reduce pet overpopulation and lower city and county animal-control costs," she said.

In written testimony submitted at a public hearing on April 30, Burns offered statistics on the importance of a sterilizing pets.

"In a six-year time period, two dogs can produce 67,000 offspring, and within seven years, two cats can produce 420,000 offspring," she said.

Burns said that since the humane society recommended the program, the number of unwanted dogs and cats entering the shelter has decreased by 29 percent to 27,326 in fiscal year 2002.

If the city tries to save money by ending its subsidy of the program, it will only have to pay more in the future to control animal overpopulation, she warned.

A handful of animal-rights advocates also testified that raising the certificate price would lead to overpopulation, while veterinarian Sabina De Giacomo pointed out flaws in the current system in written testimony.

De Giacomo said those who live in public housing or who are trying to sterilize cats in colonies may not be able to afford the certificates, while others cannot afford the extra services that can drive the veterinarian's bill up.

She said that residents who use the program are those who can afford to bring their animals in for examination.

"What this amounts to is middle- and upper-class companion animals being neutered, but not necessarily the animal(s) who live in/around families in public housing or outdoor colonies," she said.

In addition to the Neuter Now program, the Humane Society sterilizes all animals it puts up for adoption and also provides a free feral cat sterilization program for caretakers of feral cat colonies.

Costa said it is up to the pet owner to determine which vets will not tack additional charges to the price of the certificate.

"There will be vets that do it for the certificate price only," she said.

Dr. Dan Severson at the VCA Kaneohe Animal Hospital said there is a limit to the additional charges allowed under the program.

"What we do here is check to see if the animal is current on all vaccinations and do a heartworm and stool check," he said.

If everything is clean, the pet owner doesn't have to pay anything beyond the price of the certificate. However, that does not include blood work or pain medication.

Other costs can include $20 for an examination and one vaccination, and $10 for a discounted heartworm test, Severson said. The price for additional vaccinations are not discounted under the program.

An overnight stay or services for post-operational complications also could increase the price.

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