Pricey to own Penticton pets

Photo: Castanet Staff

It's expensive to be a responsible pet owner in the South Okanagan, with the cost of spay and neutering significantly higher in Penticton than Kelowna.

This morning, the Penticton SPCA quoted $414 as the average cost to spay a cat at their facility, and depending on the weight of the animal, around $586 for a mid-sized dog. 

Neutering costs are slightly less, as it is a less invasive surgery. 

The facility says its prices reflect the cost of anaesthetic and man hours. 

Kelowna's Alpine Pet Hospital's prices, however, are less than half that, at roughly $120 to spay a cat and $175 for an average-sized dog. 

Penticton's Anderson Veterinary Clinic averages $280 to spay a cat and $312-360 to spay a dog, still significantly more than Kelowna for the same procedure.

Jess Byer of Critteraid in Summerland said she believes many of the homeless kittens her organization receives are a result of how expensive spaying and neutering procedures are in Penticton and Oliver.

"It's not affordable for a lot of people," Byer said. "It contributes to the number of kittens we have here [at Critteraid]. People just can't do it."

Castanet reached out to the College of Veterinarians of British Columbia for comment on the large regional price disparity, but their offices are closed until January.