One of the reasons Salina Animal Services operates is to help control the population of animals in the community, and one of the services that it offers makes a direct impact on helping control the population of unwanted pets.

Keeping the animal from reproducing, spaying and neutering cats and dogs, is an effective way to keep animal populations low, a service that animal services understands is a benefit to the community as a whole.

"The purpose (of the spay and neuter program) is to make sure we don't have as many puppies and kittens (in the community)," said Monique Hawley, director of Salina Animal Services.

While several private veterinary offices in the community offer spay and neuter surgeries, they are typically expensive procedures, so as a service to the community, animal services offers the service at a reduced rate.

How to get cats and dogs spayed and neutered

"It's low cost and open to everyone (in the community)…who wants to use it," Hawley said.

The service is provided to anyone who registers, but those who reside outside of Saline County must pay an additional charge. Hawley said the program has been very popular with people in and out of the county.

"We (also) get a lot of (people from) Fort Riley, McPherson and elsewhere," Hawley said.

Surgeries are offered on Mondays and Thursdays, but people have to register online through the Salina Parks and Recreation catalog. For people wanting to use this service, Hawley said to try and schedule it in advance.

"We're full almost every day," she said.

The shelter, which contracts out the service to Dr. Melissa Juby from Wichita, not only spays and neuters pets that are scheduled by their owners, but also the cats and dogs that are in the shelter, ready to be adopted, meaning there are at least 15 and as many as 35 surgeries performed on any Monday or Thursday at the shelter.

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A benefit for animal services department

Before being the director, Hawley spent time in the department as an animal control officer, a position that gave her a better understanding of the importance of spaying and neutering pets.

"It makes it a better life for that animal, and it helps us by keeping the population down," Hawley said.

One of the ways that animal control officers are involved in the process is by a trap and release program for stray animals around the city.

"We have spots that people will tell us there's a problem with cats," Hawley said.

She said the ecology of these spots means if animal services just catches the animal and doesn't bring them back to the same location, another animal might take its place in the area.

"We're going to trap that cat, spay (or) neuter it, give it a rabies vaccine, tip the ear and then it's going to go right back where it came from," Hawley said. "If that animal's gone, then something that is not spayed or neutered is going to fill that hole."

She said by doing this, it gives animal services a better chance of getting to all of the animals in that circle, meaning it can slow or stop the potential for overpopulation.

In one example, Hawley said it took a couple of months of animal services going out every week to a site and trapping and releasing cats.

"Eventually, there were no kittens (being born)," Hawley said.

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Services on top of spaying and neutering

In addition to spaying and neutering, which costs between $60 to $95, Salina Animal Services also lets customers add vaccines and other treatments, like microchipping, testing for heartworms and feline leukemia, deworming and flea treatments, all at additional costs to the customer.

For more information on the spay and neuter program, contact Salina Animal Services at 785-826-6535 or visit its website, www.salinaanimalservices.com.

This article originally appeared on Salina Journal: Salina Animal Services offers spay and neuter program to community