British Columbia has an enormous pet overpopulation problem – particularly with cats. BC SPCA's branches take in more than 32,000 animals each year, plus thousands of additional animals are cared for by other rescue groups and animal control agencies throughout the province.
What the BC SPCA is doing to prevent pet overpopulation
The BC SPCA works at a number of levels to help B.C. communities deal with their pet overpopulation issues.
Providing spay/neuter services
The BC SPCA sets the example by ensuring all cats, dogs and rabbits adopted from our shelters are spayed and neutered. This ensures the animals we place in the community do not contribute to pet overpopulation.
BC SPCA Spay/Neuter Clinics
Pet overpopulation is so severe that the BC SPCA has established three veterinary clinics focusing on spaying and neutering. Each year the clinics perform more than 5,000 discounted or free spay/neuter procedures in Vancouver, Kamloops and Prince George.
This commitment of over $2 million annually is making a dramatic impact in Prince George and Kamloops, communities with some of the highest numbers of unwanted animals. Animal intake in our Prince George shelter has dropped by over 25 per cent (1,000 fewer dogs and cats) since our clinic opened in 2005. Likewise in Kamloops, where our clinic opened in 2009, the shelter is beginning to experience a decline in animal intake. In Vancouver, the BC SPCA opened a spay/neuter clinic back in the 1970s and was successful in dramatically reducing pet overpopulation of both dogs and cats. Today it is a full-service hospital offering discounted spay/neuter and other veterinary services for people in need, as well as competitively priced veterinary services.
Community partners
The BC SPCA has partnered with veterinarians in many regions of B.C. to offer discounted spays and neuters for BC SPCA animals. Many individuals also selflessly pledge their own funds to save animal lives by assisting in our spay/neuter efforts. Check your local BC SPCA branch for more information on accessing spay/neuter assistance programs.
To end pet overpopulation local governments must help.
Some B.C. municipalities have established spay-neuter funds for low-income residents. These funds have reduced shelter intake by thousands of animals throughout North America where they have been implemented.
The BC SPCA is urging more municipalities to put these funds in place. You can help us by writing to your local municipal government and asking them to support low-cost spay/neuter in your community.
You can also be part of our Pets in the City campaign where you can quickly and easily send emails to your local council, encouraging them to enact proactive bylaws that foster safe, humane and liveable communities for people and animals alike.
Youth and public education
The BC SPCA is committed to educating the public about the suffering that occurs when there are too many animals and not enough homes.
We offer humane education programs for youth in schools, provide curriculum-linked school units for teachers, visit hundreds of schools each year and support a province-wide Kids Club teaching young people about the responsibilities of caring for animals and their appropriate treatment. See our resources for youth about pet overpopulation.
We issue press releases and public service announcements to the media and distribute posters and brochures province-wide on the benefits of spaying and neutering. The solution starts by ensuring your family’s pets are spayed and neutered. We also have information you can use to convincing others about the benefits of spaying and neutering.
Transferring animals with The Drive for Lives Program
While long-term solutions are needed, in the short term our Drive for Lives animal transfer program helps to save lives - one road trip at a time! Every day, animals are being moved around the province to different BC SPCA shelters in order to give them a better chance at being adopted into forever homes.
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