Volunteer Vets Sought for Animal Services

As the number of dogs rises at Pasco County Animal Services, Commissioner Pat Mulieri is seeking ways to ease overcrowding.

In addition to helping raise awareness about the adoptable pets just waiting for new homes, she’s also toying with the idea of getting more veterinarians to assist with spay and neuter surgeries.

While more staff is being hired by the county to perform surgeries, Mulieri would like some help focused on getting more animals ready to go directly into the hands of rescue groups. She’s hoping to come up with a way to leverage some of the money the county receives from licensing tags to subsidize surgeries so animal rescue groups wouldn’t have to front the costs in order to save a dog from possible euthanasia.

She’s also considering an idea to bring in volunteer vets to perform the surgeries to get more animals out the door and into rescues that can serve as homes until permanent placements can be made.

“It’s pretty expensive for rescues when they take a dog,” Mulieri said. “They have to get it spayed or neutered.”

When Mulieri checked around on pricing for the surgery for a 5-pound male dog, she found that some vets were charging $85 and others wanted as much as $295. Either way, she said, that’s a lot for a nonprofit to shoulder.

While the county already subsidizes surgeries through Spay Pasco and for adoptions, the rescue groups bear the financial burden themselves, she said.

“This is a critical thing,” she said, adding that extra subsidies to entice more rescues to take dogs could save the county money in the long run. It costs about $6.46 per 10 pounds to euthanize a dog, which is an option to end overcrowding the county is working to avoid with the introduction of its Save 90 program.

“When you take a healthy adoptable animal — even an old animal — that is not euthanasia that is killing.”

While there are no firm plans in place to increase subsidies, Mulieri said vets who might be interested in volunteering to help, can contact her through Lucille Paterno, the senior assistant to the County Commission. Her number is 727-847-8100 and her email is lpaterno@pascocountyfl.net.

Want to learn more about what’s happening at animal services? Be sure to read:

Pasco Commissioner ‘Frustrated’ With Overcrowding at Animal Service

Adopt a Pet for Free in April