SSPCA re-launches mass sterilisation campaign |26 April 2021
A sterilisation session at Providence on Saturday (Photo: Louis Toussaint)
Almost one year on from the last campaign, the Seychelles Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) re-launched its mass sterilisation campaign on Saturday, starting off with a session at its premises, at Providence.
The campaign, which aims to encourage pet owners to get their cats or dogs neutered towards controlling the population and addressing the stray situation, will be ongoing for some weeks, covering numerous districts in Seychelles, as was the case before public health measures were imposed amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
For Saturday’s session, 30 pet owners had registered and been given an appointment beforehand, to ensure the smooth running of the programme, and that all health and safety protocols in place against Covid-19 are observed. From 8.30 onwards, veterinarians, staff and volunteers of the not-for-profit organisation were up and ready to receive their first client.
Once pet owners arrive, they have to register, before health checks are conducted on the animal, followed by the sterilisation procedure.
In addition to sterilisation, the SSPCA is also micro chipping the dogs, in line with the Dog Regulations. The fee for sterilisation is set at R350 for pet owners, a fraction of the actual cost of the procedure. Presently, the micro chipping service is free.
By 10.30am, the team had already conducted the procedure on seven of the 16 cats expected for the day, and were also expecting 14 dogs.
General manager of the organisation, Keith Vidot, stated the various benefits of sterilisation for both the animal and owners, hence the focus of the campaign to bring the services closer to communities and the public.
“Sterilisation has many benefits, health benefits, as it reduces the risk of cancer for the animals, and if for instance females frequently have litters of puppies, it takes toll on their health, so by sterilising, it helps to reduce this and potentially prolong the animal’s lives. It also helps to reduce nuisance at community level. Usually what happens is that people do not take notice until their animals are expecting and suddenly you have more mouths to feed, and let us not forget it is getting costlier with time to care for animals. If they had taken the responsibility from early on, they wouldn’t have to go through the hassle of trying to then get rid of them,” Mr Vidot said.
“There is no study conducted on strays. I saw the stray problem and it is worse than you think as the average person. With sterilisation, you can control the offspring, how many puppies we get, and when we can control the population then we can address the stray problem. Unfortunately, a lot of strays are not being captured and are unaccounted for, but we will see how we can work with government in the future, but for the time being, we are focusing on homes, as we already have a problem with animal management, be it cats or dogs”.
As such, the sterilisation campaign offers some hope that the stray situation in the country can be addressed. In recent years, SPPCA has intensified its campaigns and educational campaign towards better treatment of animals.
“After the Covid-19 whereby we were closed, we are trying to make it closer to people. We started here today and then we will move on to the districts. But we need to ensure that we are getting a tariff in each district, so about 15 to 20 animals in each, and then we can organise the session,” Mr Vidot explained.
Members of the public are advised to follow the SSPCA on Facebook for more information regarding upcoming sessions, although SSPCA will also be doing so through national media. Pet owners who are interested in having their pets sterilised within their respective districts can contact SSPCA and register, and once the tariff is reached, the session will be organised, and owners contacted to be given appointments.
Although SSPCA intends to cover all districts, suitable locations and premises are limited in some districts, although Mr Vidot assures that SSPCA will try its best to cater for all, so the maximum number of pet owners benefit from the service can still access the service.
Monette Ernesta from La Retraite brought her dog to undergo the procedure, and says she does so with all her pets.
“We brought it for prevention, to have control, especially with females, they reproduce many litters and it is not great for their health as they age. At the same time, it serves as a treatment or examination for them in general, as they advise you how to take care of the dogs, at the same time there are vaccines that are also good for them, which is why I bring my dogs,” Ms Ernesta said.
In the next two weeks, SSPCA is launching yet another campaign, with the aim of educating pet owners as to how to train and handle their dogs the proper way, and maintain the training to improve the human animal relationship, also a means of controlling strays.
The session scheduled for May 8, between 8am to 12pm, is already fully booked, and will see eight dog owners and their pets benefit from basic training in half-hour sessions each. The campaign will also be ongoing, with more advanced levels to come, assured Mr Vidot.
Laura Pillay
