February is Spay It Forward month at the Okanagan Humane Society

Spay it forward in February

The Okanagan Humane Society is doing what it can to limit the unwanted pet population in the Central Okanagan.

Its third annual Spay It Forward campaign is underway until the end of February. The aim is to raise money and awareness about the importance of spaying and neutering, and help those who struggle to pay for the service.

“We definitely need a lot of funding and support from the community in order to support our work,” said Romany Runnalls, OHS executive director.

“A lot of these animals come off the street with no history,” she explained. “We don’t know where they come from. They come in without identification and they’re intact and we want to stop the breeding, so that we don’t have another several dozen from the same animal.”

In recent weeks, the organization has been inundated with puppies and kittens born from animals that were not spayed or neutered.

There has been a marked increase in demand for their services since the pandemic. In 2022, OHS assisted more than 1,500 animals. Last year, that number had more than tripled to over 4,500 animals, with an average cost of $350 per animal for care.

“Before COVID, we were finally gaining ground,” said Runnalls. “Over the past few years, we’ve lost that momentum. The need now is greater than we’ve ever seen.”

That’s why they are hoping for strong support during Spay It Forward month.

“Donations taken at the till at all of our partner veterinary clinics will be applied to our rescue program,” said Runnalls. “So that we’re helping with animals that are coming in that are found stray.”

Since its inception, the Okanagan Humane Society has successfully spayed or neutered more than 52,000 animals across the Okanagan, an impact made possible through community support.

To find out more about the Spay It Forward Campaign or to donate, click here.