ROANOKE, Va—
Roanoke can't adopt its way out of the fast growing pet population. That's according to a new clinic whose mission is to spay and neuter pets. The Mountain View Humane clinic just opened on Peter's Creek Road in Roanoke and it plans to be very busy. It's branch in Christiansburg already puts up big numbers. In the last two years, veterinarians there have performed 9,000 spay and neuter surgeries.
"Anyone who thinks that we don't need to spay and neuter needs to take a trip through any local shelter in the southwest Virginia area.," says clinic Executive Director Kelly Cass.
Just take a look inside the Roanoke Valley SPCA. The majority of the dogs and cats they receive are not fixed.
These cute pets can multiply fast.
"They can really, really expand numbers that are unbelievable," says Barbara Dalhouse with the Roanoke Valley SPCA.
According to the SPCA, one unspayed female cat and her offspring can produce 370,000 kittens in 7 years. One female dog can result in 67,000 puppies in 6 years.
That's why the SPCA helped raise money for a second Mountain View Humane clinic.
"Everyone is realizing that we're available," says Cass, "We have aid funding available. We do cats as low as a dollar. We do dogs right now as low as $20 with the pitbull grant."
The biggest excuse they hear from people is cost.
"Probably 80% of the time it's money," says Cass, "The other 20% of the time it's because they can't get there. They don't have a vehicle or they have a vehicle but don't have money for gas."
Mountain View's clinic is prepared for that problem. They have a van to pick up animals who need to be spayed or neutered.
