• DVM360_Conference_Charlotte,NC_banner
  • ACVCACVC
  • DVM 360
  • Fetch DVM 360Fetch DVM 360
DVM 360
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
By Role
AssociatesOwnersPractice ManagerStudentsTechnicians
Subscriptions
dvm360 Newsletterdvm360 Magazine
News
All News
Association
Breaking News
Education
Equine
FDA
Law & Ethics
Market Trends
Medical
Politics
Products
Recalls
Regulatory
Media
dvm360 LIVE!™
Expert Interviews
The Vet Blast Podcast
Medical World News
Pet Connections
The Dilemma Live
Vet Perspectives™
Weekly Newscast
dvm360 Insights™
Publications
All Publications
dvm360
Firstline
Supplements
Vetted
Clinical
All Clinical
Anesthesia
Animal Welfare
Behavior
Cardiology
CBD in Pets
Dentistry
Dermatology
Diabetes
Emergency & Critical Care
Endocrinology
Equine Medicine
Exotic Animal Medicine
Feline Medicine
Gastroenterology
Imaging
Infectious Diseases
Integrative Medicine
Nutrition
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Pain Management
Parasitology
Surgery
Toxicology
Urology & Nephrology
Virtual Care
Business
All Business
Business & Personal Finance
Hospital Design
Personnel Management
Practice Finances
Practice Operations
Wellbeing & Lifestyle
Continuing Education
Conferences
Conference Listing
Conference Proceedings
Upcoming dvm360 Conferences
Resources
CBD in Pets
CE Requirements by State
Contests
Partners
Spotlight Series
Team Meeting in a Box
Toolkit
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vet to Vet
Veterinary Heroes
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Advertisement
By Role
  • Associates
  • Owners
  • Practice Manager
  • Students
  • Technicians
Subscriptions
  • dvm360 Newsletter
  • dvm360 Magazine
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us
  • MJHLS Brand Logo

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences™ and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

JAVMA study asks: Whos using nonprofit spay-neuter clinics?

October 18, 2018

New report finds most use is by low-income families whose pets dont regularly receive veterinary care.

Photo courtesy of the Million Cat Challenge.

A new study published recently in the Journal of the American Veterinary Association (JAVMA) found that most pets seen in nonprofit spay-neuter clinics belonged to low-income families whose pets don't receive regular veterinary care, according to a release from Spay ASAP.

The study, titled “Characteristics of clients and animals served by high-volume, stationary, nonprofit spay-neuter clinics,” examined pets and pet owners seeking services at nonprofit spay-neuter clinics across the United States to determine the extent clients were being diverted from private practice veterinarians, the release says. It surveyed 3,768 owners of 2,154 dogs and 1,902 cats admitted to 22 nonprofit spay-neuter clinics in a nine-month period and found that these clinics predominantly serve low-income clients and animals that lack regular veterinary care, as well as animals from shelters and community cats.

“Nonprofit spay-neuter clinics offer their services to pets who would not be sterilized otherwise, whether by private practitioners, or by animal shelters prior to adoption,” says Sara C. White, DVM, MSc, executive director of Spay ASAP and lead researcher of the study, in the release. “Without them, a vital component of reducing pet overpopulation, as well as of public health, would be lost.”

Advertisement

Lack of access to veterinary services, poverty and transportation challenges are all factors that delay or prevent spaying or neutering of family pets, the release states. The resulting litters of puppies and kittens put strain on local animal welfare organizations, and lack of sterilization usually goes hand in hand with lack of vaccination against diseases such as rabies, the organization continues.

The study found that participants' household income was less than $30,000 per year, and most of their pets hadn't seen a veterinarian in the last year. The release also notes that 81 percent of cats and 32 percent of dogs over 4 months of age had never been vaccinated against rabies.

It also found that while some spay-neuter clinics target services based on income, their primary goal is to sterilize pets that wouldn't otherwise be spayed or neutered. The authors speculate that basing access on income verification may seem invasive to the clients who need the services the most, the release says. Also, many aren't able to document their income or need, while others don't technically meet a definition of need but still struggle to afford basic care. Undocumented pet owners may also hesitate to find care for their pet out of fears about their immigration status. In addition, these verification processes create an administrative burden on nonprofit clinics, many of which can't do them without negatively impacting their ability to serve patients, the release says.

“There are more than 23 million dogs and cats in families with limited means to pay for veterinary care,” says Michael Blackwell, DVM, MPH, director of the Program for Pet Health Equity, part of the College of Social Work at the University of Tennessee. “The lack of access to veterinary care results in prolonged illnesses and recovery, or relinquishment to the animal sheltering community, or, worse yet, euthanasia, thus breaking the human-animal bond. These families need and deserve healthcare for all members, human and animal.”

Related Content:

MedicalBreaking News
Newly funded study on chronic hepatitis in Doberman Pinschers
Newly funded study on chronic hepatitis in Doberman Pinschers
Performing and calculating a PCV
Performing and calculating a PCV
Brief overview of acid-base interpretation
Brief overview of acid-base interpretation

Advertisement

Latest News

3 Must-reads for National Pet Dental Health Month

Veterinary Dentistry Specialists first to apply human fracture repair technology to companion animals

Long Island University debuts College of Veterinary Medicine Learning Center

Paving the way for a more diversified veterinary profession

View More Latest News
Advertisement