Party to prevent pet overpopulation at Spay Soiree

East Baton Rouge Parish Animal Control euthanizes approximately 89% of the dogs and 74% cats that arrive at its North Baton Rouge facility. That means 21 animals were euthanized for every parish’s resident—a rate 33% above the national average.

The horrifying statistics do not reflect poorly on shelter staff. The blame rests with irresponsible owners whose pets are neglected, abused, abandoned and allowed to roam and to breed uncontrollably.

The severity of the situation has garnered the attention of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, which recently convened a consortium of six area animal welfare organizations. Their task is to create a no-kill region in which no healthy, adoptable animal is euthanized. Increasing adoptions is definitely an important part of the agenda, but the root of the problem lies in preventing animal overpopulation.

Spay USA estimates a fertile female cat and her offspring can total 376 in three years and 11 million in nine years. Likewise, a fertile female dog and her litters can total 512 in three years and 67,000 in six years.

“You can keep adopting animals out, which is important to save the lives of those who are already born without a home,” says Sandra DiTusa, Spay Baton Rouge’s founder and BRAF participant. “Yet, at some point, you are going to saturate the market. To stop the production of unwanted pets, we must spay or neuter feral cats and the cats and dogs, who are producing the unwanted pets going into animal control or other shelters.”

All rescues spay/neuter their adoptable animals and provide spay/neuter education. Still, the majority of the area’s pets remain fertile because owners either don’t understand the importance of spay/neuter or are unable to pay for veterinary services.

For the past five years, DiTusa’s organization has focused exclusively on making spay/neuter services available to every parish pet owner. Spay Baton Rouge provides low-cost spay/neuter for the pets of low-income families and caretakers of feral cat colonies.

Last year, the nonprofit opened its freestanding spay/neuter clinic and performed 1,900 surgeries. The combined efforts of the clinic and 12 volunteer veterinary practices yielded more than 6,200 spay/neuter procedures and prevented the births of an estimated 16,500 unwanted pets in the first generation alone.

While grants have supported the organization’s work thus far, Spay Baton Rouge aims to become more self-sustaining and expand the geographic area it serves.

On October 17, Spay Baton Rouge hosts Spay Soiree from 5 to 8 p.m. at the State Archives at 3851 Essen Lane. This year’s fundraiser features fine dining from Mansurs On the Boulevard, a silent auction featuring celebrity signed shirts, performance by Jacob Dupre Quartet and an art show starring the works by local animal advocate artists and photographs of area pet lovers.

Spay Baton Rouge’s Spay Soiree is open to the public. Tickets begin at $35 per person and may be purchased at spaybatonrouge.org.

Click here for this week’s Creature Feature.

Click here for this week’s City Lynx.