Recognized at MACo’s 2013 Summer Conference’s President’s Reception in Ocean City, Worcester County Animal Control (WCAC) won the healthy counties best practices award for their Spay-Neuter Day.  WCAC’s Spay-Neuter Day allows 12 pets bi-monthly to get spayed or neutered at an affordable discounted rate.

“Since these are such desperate times, the reduced rates of $50 to spay or neuter a cat and $100 for dogs is an affordable service that may otherwise forego being done,” MACo’s 2012 President Ingrid Turner said. “The program was approved by the Worcester County Commissioners in December of 2011 and began in March of 2012. It is performed two Mondays a month at the shelter and is a self-sufficient program. Surgeries are performed and the animals are picked up the same day to return home.”

From DelmarvaNow.com,

The primary purpose of Spay-Neuter Day is to help assure public safety and reduce the number of unwanted litters of kittens and puppies. Spaying or neutering is a 100 percent effective method to avoid unwanted litters, which could wind up homeless or be needlessly euthanized. Other benefits of spaying and neutering pets include reducing incidences of mammary cancer and elimination of uterine and ovarian cancer in females; and protecting against prostate cancer and certain types of hernias in males. It also often reduces unwanted behaviors, including roaming and urine marking in homes, and may reduce aggressive ­behavior in dogs.

For more information about Spay-Neuter Days, contact Worcester County Animal Control at 410.632.1340.