City's SNIP Initiative to Cut Down Number of Unwanted Pets

The City of San Angelo and Concho Valley PAWS are teaming on an effort to significantly reduce the number of unwanted pets that enter the San Angelo Animal Shelter and are euthanized.

The Spay/Neuter Initiative Program, or SNIP, will aim to educate and raise awareness of the need for pet owners to alter their pets. The effort will involve messages delivered through the mass media, social media, both organization’s websites (cosatx.us and conchovalleypaws.org), and SATV, the City’s government access channel on Suddenlink channel 17.

“Sadly, thousands of healthy animals are destroyed every year in our local shelter,” said Jenie Wilson, executive director of PAWS (Pets Are Worth Saving). “It’s our hope this initiative will help our community understand the link between indiscriminate breeding and our pet overpopulation. It will also make our community aware of some of the available spay/neuter assistance programs so cost will not be a barrier.”

Of the 9,125 cats and dogs that entered the City’s animal shelter last year, 6,838 – or 76 percent – were euthanized.

“Essentially, we’re looking to change the local culture,” City Public Information Officer Anthony Wilson said. “San Angelo has proven we can do that. We’ve dramatically reduced water usage by raising awareness through a steady drumbeat of water conservation messages. Once pet owners fully understand the end consequences of failing to alter their pets – and the benefits of spay/neuter – we’re convinced we will dramatically reduce the number of unwanted animals that are put down each year.”

For pet owners who believe spay/neuter is too expensive, PAWS offers a low-cost spay/neuter voucher program. Vouchers for cats and dogs are sold the first Saturday of each month for $25 and $50, respectively.

PAWS will augment those sales in February by aiming to distribute 100 spay/neuter vouchers for dogs at 10 a.m. Feb. 14 at its adoption center inside Sunset Mall. The $10 vouchers will be handed out first-come, first-served. Specific veterinarians will honor those vouchers Feb. 24-27. Dogs must be owned, weigh less than 50 pounds and cannot be in heat.

PAWS also offers free spay/neuter vouchers for low-income families and for pit bulls, Chihuahuas and mixes of those breeds. Pit bulls and Chihuahuas are easily the two most prevalent breeds at the animal shelter.

“For any pet owner who thinks spay/neuter is too expensive, it’s important to remember it’s a one-time cost that pales in comparison to the total cost of caring for a pet – feeding, veterinary care, kenneling, grooming – over its lifespan,” Jenie Wilson said.