Letter From Jacque Meyer of the Greater Birmingham Humane Society

June 27, 2011

       The recent news of the threat by the Alabama State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners (ASBVME) to close the Alabama Spay/Neuter Clinic in Irondale has me devastated. Since its opening three years ago, this facility has made a huge impression on the humane movement in Alabama. The clinic has saved the lives of tens of thousands of animals in this state since 2008 by offering low-cost spay/neuter and vaccination alternatives for our citizens’ pets. To date, after opening just 3 years ago, the clinic has spayed or neutered over 33,000 animals. Every single animal that is spayed or neutered at the clinic makes an impact in our community. One may be tempted to ignore the impact of one animal, but statistics show that in seven years, one single female cat can produce 400,000 offspring.  The clinic has made our communities safer, kept rabies and other diseases at bay, and best of all, has made the drive through our state more beautiful by reducing the number of dead animals on the road.

       As the Executive Director of the largest humane society in Alabama, I know firsthand that the problem of pet overpopulation in our state is rampant and is not going away anytime soon. However, I can tell you that when the Alabama Spay/Neuter Clinic opened, I became hopeful that things could change for Alabama. In 2008, the Greater Birmingham Humane Society brought in 10,161 unwanted pets. That number dramatically decreased in 2009, when the GBHS received 9,192 animals. 2010 was a unique year, with the GBHS bringing in 9,709 animals, however, 1,233 of those were transferred to us from agencies in crisis in other parts of the state. As you can see, the clinic is working to accomplish a goal that should be top priority for all citizens of Alabama: to eliminate the unwanted pets in our communities and end the needless euthanasia of healthy animals in shelters throughout our state.

       What is most concerning to me is the lack of transparency offered in the reason given by the Alabama State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners for shutting the clinic down. In my opinion, the quality of the facilities and the care given by the clinic is not in question. The veterinarians on staff are licensed in the state of Alabama, and the caregivers at the clinic, in my opinion, appear to be highly capable of humanely and ethically treating the animals that go through their facility.

       I invite the members of the ASBVME to spend a day with me at the Greater Birmingham Humane Society. There they can watch as we receive an average of 30 unwanted pets in our shelter every single day. They can watch as our staff has to euthanize yet another litter of healthy puppies, simply for the reason that there is not enough space for them on our adoption floor.

       I urge the citizens of Alabama to fight for the Alabama/Spay Neuter Clinic and the good work that it does for the Greater Birmingham area and beyond. Without their existence, and the existence of low-cost spay/neuter alternatives in general, we will never achieve our goal of being a no-kill community.

       Jacqueline Meyer

       Executive Director, Greater Birmingham Humane Society

Letter to Our Supporters - Update From: Mark Nelson, Executive Director Alabama Spay/Neuter

Dear friends of Alabama Spay/Neuter, 

Thank you for your unwavering support. The letters and e-mails that you have sent on our behalf have undoubtedly created a stir. I also want to thank you for signing our on-line petition. At the time of this update we have over 2,500 signatures. Way to go!!

It’s been almost 5 weeks since we received the original cease and desist letter from The Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners. Shortly after receiving the letter we challenged the closure and received a stay order allowing us to remain open pending a formal hearing. At this time we haven’t heard anything from the Board about this hearing or when it will take place. As soon as we have information we will pass it on through this Facebook page and the local news media.

Thank you again for your continued support in our fight to help companion animals in our area. Now more than ever, we need to do all that we can to assure that high quality, low cost spay/neutering remains available.    

Sincerely,

Mark H. Nelson

Executive Director

Alabama Spay/Neuter

Sign Our Petition!

Click the Link Below To Sign

http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-the-alabama-state-board-of-veterinary-medical-examiners-from-shutting-down-spayneuter-clinics

Please sign this petition to help save the Alabama Spay/Neuter Clinic from being unjustly shut down by the Alabama State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners! Over the last three years Alabama Spay/Neuter Clinic has performed over 33,000 high quality, low cost surgeries to many people who otherwise could not afford to fix their animals. We have, since inception, been approved & sanctioned by the Alabama Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, the licensing agent for all clinics & veterinarians in the State.

On June 9th, we received a certified letter from The Alabama State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, signed by Tammy S. Wallace, executive director of the state board. The letter alleges that the Alabama Spay/Neuter Clinic is not owned by a licensed veterinarian and is therefore in violation of Alabama Code and must cease operations. We believe this is a politically motivated attack on the clinic, spearheaded by a few of the Board members who do not subscribe to our mission for one reason or another.  The State Board has already effectively closed the North Alabama Spay Neuter Clinic in Huntsville and is now taking aim at us! We feel they will move on to the other non-profit Clinics in the State and we need your help to stop them! 

In accordance with state law, Dr. William Weber owns the practice performing veterinary service in the Clinic- he employs, manages & pays the veterinarians. The Clinic owns the equipment, plus we hire support staff for the veterinarians. We feel strongly that we are operating within the law, as we have been for the past 3 years. It appears that we will be going to court to resolve this - an unfortunate waste of precious resources! In addition to fighting this in the Judicial system, we need a loud outcry from our supporters. Please sign this petition and help us stop the Alabama State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, as spay/neuter clinics are very important to our community and we can't afford to have the board unjustly shutting down clinics across the state of Alabama!

Join us on Facebook too! - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Help-Save-Alabama-SpayNeuter-Clinic/223800927638796

Alabama Spay/Neuter 3rd Anniversary

Alabama Spay/Neuter will be celebrating our 3rd anniversary on Thursday June 9, 2011. Since opening in 2008, we have fixed over 33,000 animals. We are here to prevent overpopulation and euthanasia of companion animals in Central Alabama. And we are seeing a difference. Humane Societies that work with ASN are already reporting a %15-%18 drop in their intake rate.

We offer low cost, high quality spay/neutering. We also has a free transport that goes to 13 counties in the Central Alabama area.

Our Mission is...
To provide high-volume, low-cost sterilization as the only humane, sustainable solution to the overpopulation of dogs and cats in Central Alabama. To maintain the highest level of veterinary care and customer service. To address and respond to the needs of our customers and to the best of our ability, assure that our services are available to everyone.

"Fix" the World!

Spay/Neuter Around the world

Yesterday Alabama Spay/Neuter visited with Dr. Augusto Barragan of Panama and Dr. Thomas W. Kahema of Tanzania. They were getting a different perspective of how spay/neuter is done in the United States and they were very impressed. 

Dr. Augusto Barragan is with Spay Panama. Spay Panama was started in the Republic of Panama in 2001. For years, a small group of volunteers and vets worked together to make a difference and improve the welfare of the less fortunate animals. The more animals were sterilized, the more animals Pat, founder of Spay Panama, saw that needed to be done; and they were criticized by the Panamanain vet community. In Pat's words,"It was like swimming against a strong current." On the other side was Dr. Isis Johnson-Brown, who after having a successful career as a medical tech, saw the need of the less fortunate animals and went back to vet school and focused on the solution of the root of the homeless animals problem: Spay/neuter services should be within reach - geographically and financially - for everyone who has a cat or dog. For more information visit www.spaypanama.org

Dr. Thomas W. Kahema is with the Tanzania Animal Welfare Society. Tanzania Animal Welfare Society (TAWESO) is a non- profit, non-governmental organization registered in Tanzania with a major aim of promoting animal welfare in Tanzania. They are a group of veterinarians, teachers, members of community, agricultural workers working currently mainly on volunteer basis. The Government does not provide funding to civil societies. TAWESO is grass root community organization registered on 18th of April, 2008. They are volunteer organization devoted to help animals by fighting against all forms of animal cruelty. In Tanzania, animal welfare is not a priority to many people as they are faced with many other life challenges like street children, extreme poverty and hunger and therefore their society is working hard on various animal programmes- Delivery of animal health care, Dog and cat population control, Working Donkey Welfare, Humane Education in order to improve the welfare of street and housed animals in the country. We have representatives in 4 regions of Tanzania in Mwanza, Dodoma, Cost Region and headquarters in Dar es salaam city. For more information visit www.taweso.org

Both are wonderful organizations making a significant impact on the overpopulation rate in their countries. Over population and euthanasia of healthy adoptable pets is obviously not a problem that is a effecting just Alabama, this problem is global.

By providing sterilizations to a targeted zip code, we have a better chance of reducing or eliminating shelter in take in that area then we move on to another high volume zip code. 

But we can not do it alone. Alabama Spay/Neuter has been getting the word out and educating on importance and pros of spay/neuter. Besides reducing overpopulation and euthanasia, there are so many other benefits to spay/neuter such as:

Females:

• No heat cycles, therefore males will not be attracted
• Less desire to roam
• Risk of mammary gland tumors, ovarian and/or uterine cancer is

   reduced or eliminated, especially if done before the first heat cycle

• Reduces number of unwanted cats/kittens/dogs/puppies
• Helps dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives

Males:

• Reduces or eliminates risk of spraying and marking
• Less desire to roam, therefore less likely to be injured in fights or auto accidents
• Risk of testicular cancer is eliminated, and decreases incidence of prostate disease
• Reduces number of unwanted cats/kittens/dogs/puppies
• Decreases aggressive behavior, including dog bites
• Helps dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives

Other wonderful reasons:

• Sterilization of your cat or dog will increase his/her chance of a longer and healthier life. Altering your canine friend will increase his life an average of 1 to 3 years, felines, 3 to 5 years. Altered animals have a very low to no risk of mammary gland tumors/cancer, prostate cancer, perianal tumors, pyometria, and uterine, ovarian and testicular cancers.

• Sterilizing your cat/dog makes him/her a better pet, reducing his/her urge to roam and decreasing the risk of contracting diseases or getting hurt as they roam. Surveys indicate that as many as 85% of dogs hit by cars are unaltered. Intact male cats living outside have been shown to live on average less than two years. Feline Immunodeficiency Syndrome is spread by bites and intact cats fight a great deal more than altered cats. 

• Your community will also benefit. Unwanted animals are becoming a very real concern in many places. Stray animals can easily become a public nuisance, soiling parks and streets, ruining shrubbery, frightening children and elderly people, creating noise and other disturbances, causing automobile accidents, and sometimes even killing livestock or other pets.
  - The American Veterinary Medical Association
  
• The capture, impoundment and eventual destruction of unwanted animals costs taxpayers and private humanitarian agencies over a billion dollars each year. As a potential source of rabies and other less serious diseases, they can be a public health hazard.
  - The American Veterinary Medical Association

Please Spay and Neuter your pets. It is the only humane solution 

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Alabama Spay/Neuter fixes Precious

Those from all over use Alabama Spay/Neuter

Ron was ready to go to Dutch Harbor Alaska and broke his arm. So, he ventured down to Alabama to rest and let his arm heal.

Ron found out about Alabama Spay/Neuter via radio announcement with our number ( 205.956.0012) and made an appointment to bring in his sweet little dog, Precious.

Precious was was taken in by Ron's wife. Before they met she was in a sever car accident and they met during her recovery. Now they happy family with Precious.

Ron and Precious came into the clinic yesterday. Precious was spayed around 9:00am and recovered gracefully. They wanted to get her fixed because there are many male dogs living in their area. Needless to say, We 'Fixed' that!

There are many owners like Ron who need to get their pets fixed due to roaming. Many think that it is not necessary because their pet always stays inside or in their perimeter. However, dogs do get out and like to cross boundaries, especially unaltered animals. The next thing you know your dog is pregnant. To prevent this from happening we must spay and neuter our pets. It is the only humane solution to preventing overpopulation and euthanasia in shelters.

Thank you for Choosing Alabama Spay/Neuter!

Remember it's Hip to Snip!
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Working Together to Make a Difference!

Animal Welfare agents work together on a 

Special Case to spay 5 Cats

C. Gable lives in a rural area and had friendly cats living outside his barn.  He is a cat lover but kept having new kittens added to his colony. Gable saw FYM's (Fix Your Mama) announcement in The Blount Countian, "Fix Your Mama-- before She's a Mama!" and wanted 5 female cats fixed.  He said he'd trapped them after reading about FYM. The chances of him letting them go and then successfully trapping them again was low. Calvin put all the cats in a wire crate together. The Rescue Riders picked them up as a favor and brought them directly to Alabama Spay/Neuter.

Rescue Riders Transport from NH (transports animals from Alabama and other Southern states to homes waiting for them in the Northeast) was on I-59 headed to Birmingham and offered to stop and pick up the cats that day.

Bo (with Rescue Riders) calls in a panic that one is giving birth but they're afraid to open the crate since Calvin has said some of them are feral. They came directly to the clinic with all the cats and at least one newborn kitten where the crew of Alabama Spay/Neuter took over from there.

The four cats were all spayed and the momma ended up giving birth to four kittens.

The kittens will be fixed when they are of age.

Anyone may bring in feral cats without making an appointment. They will receive a capstar, sterilization, and rabies shot for a discounted rate. We have a TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) program which you make an appointment to learn every thing about how to Trap feral cats, bring them in to get fixed, and release them back in to their territory. It’s Free!

It’s not enough to just have house cats sterilized. The feral and free roaming cats are the souls running at large with out anyone caring for them or having them fixed. If there is nothing done about the ferals and their kittens, they will end up in shelters where they will be euthanized due to over population. 

The key to preventing overpopulation and euthanasia 

in animal shelters is spay/neuter.

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