Spay and Neuter Task Force in Frog Lake

Local veterinarian helps the initiative.

Photo Credit: Alberta Spay & Neuter Task Force, Centre Animal Hospital Cold Lake, Cross Cuts Pet Styling. 

The Alberta Spay & Neuter Task Force was Frog Lake May 12-14 welcoming animals at no charge to be spayed or neutered. The organization partners with First Nations communities throughout Alberta offering up the service. According to the Alberta Spay & Neuter Task Force on Facebook, the organization aims to work with the communities, “we partner with communities who request guidance, support, and resources to humanely manage their companion animal population, in order to improve the safety of their community and the well being of the animals.”

The group provides high volume, high quality MASH style spay and neuter clinics that are held in First Nation communities. “We work within the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association guidelines to provide these clinics by applying for a Temporary Veterinary Facility licence for each clinic. This ensures the safety of our patients at our clinics.”

“We also assist First Nation communities with community based Dog Care and Control Programs that includes by laws, education regarding pet care and dog bite prevention. Our group provides mentorship and resources for this type of program.”

Costs are covered in part by the host community and fundraising efforts, as well as volunteers. Dr. Greg Beniot, of the Centre Animal Hospital in Cold Lake and two staff members made the trip to Frog Lake to volunteer their time on the task force. Cross Cut Pet Styling in Cold Lake also offered up their services to groom the dogs.

Over the two days, the task force was able to:

• 90 Canine Spays
• 89 Canine Neuters
• 38 Feline Spays
• 44 Feline Neuters

The Alberta Spay Neuter Task Force (ASNTF) is a registered charity that provides proactive, community based pet wellness clinics for communities that are experiencing pet overpopulation issues in order to assist with their approach to improve the health and well being of the dogs and cats in the community and to reduce human health issues that have resulted from pet overpopulation. Many communities do not have the resources that we have in our cities to assist with the care of their animals. The problem of pet overpopulation exists all over the world! – abtaskforce.org

On September 29 to October 1, the Alberta Spay & Neuter Task Force will be holding their first Spay & Neuter clinic at the Cold Lake First Nations.