Our Annual Spay-a-thon

Every spring since 1996, the staff of Paradise Animal Hospital, and local colleagues, gather on a Saturday to execute a finely tuned, well orchestrated, event called “The Spay-a-thon”. In cooperation with Animal Advocates of Howard County, financially challenged members of our community are served by making responsible pet ownership possible. The team of employees at the animal hospital donates their day off and their medical know how to examine, spay and neuter over 60 cats each year. The hospital supplies all materials and medications. Pets are handled with care and surgeries are performed with the high level of professional care that is extended to all pets cared for in the routine work days of the hospital.

The event brings staff members together in a day of giving. What the staff receives in return is the feel valued reward of knowing that they have helped to make a dent in the national problem, over population of unwanted pets. A pair of uncontrolled breeding cats produce: 2 litters a year, at a survival rate of 2.8 kittens per litter. Continued breeding will produce 12 cats the first year, 66 cats the second year, 2,201 cats in the third year, 3,822 cats in the fourth year, 12,680 cats in the fifth year, and on and on . . We can make a general estimate that the spay-a-thon value of having spayed and neutered over 50 cats per year over 13 years as having prevented the additional population of something well over 200,000 cats. We are proud to have made a dent in the problem that results in 4 million cats and dogs being euthanized in shelters every year.

On the morning of the Spay-a-thon, the atmosphere in the hospital is charged with readiness from weeks of preparation. Staff is intense with expectations and intentions for completing without incident, the huge task of the day’s work. Animal advocates and hospital management have set a groaning board of breakfast and snacks in the kitchen, to help move workers through a demanding day’s effort. Over 50 cats are given physical examinations, and vaccinations. When a surgeon is nearly done with one patient, the next is put under general anesthesia shaved and disinfected for surgery and given pain medications by the preparation team. When under general anesthesia, the pet is delivered to a veterinarian who is solely focused on performing surgeries and has just completed their last spay or neuter. When surgery is completed, the cat is transferred to the recovery team who insures that the body temperature and other vital organ systems are normal throughout the process of waking.  When the cats are fully recovered they are discharged to their loving owners, with home care instructions and pain control medications. At the end of the event, participants can celebrate a day well spent and be proud that the well oiled machine that makes Paradise Animal Hospital a community icon allows an incredibly productive day of high volume surgery.

Once the days work is over staff communes over food and cleans up the hospital. The mood is congenial and congratulatory. There has been lots of cooperation reinforcing team bonds and connections with community and Animal Advocates. Job Well Done! Looking forward to next year!