Sponsors Spay & Neuter Sponsors
Please thank our sponsors whose support has enabled us to bring these programs to your community!
To Purchase The Unit . . .
The State of Delaware
The Longwood Foundation
The City Of Wilmington
The Delaware Community Foundation
Spay & Neuter:
There’s safety in numbers
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Support our Spay Neuter Program
Pals for Pits
FREE Spay/Neuter for Pit Bulls & Pit Bull Mixes
For more information on spay/neuter programs, please contact:
1-888-DHA-SPAY
(1-888-342-7729)
or
email the Front Desk or the Front Desk at
(302) 571-0111 x308
Why DHA spays/neuters
A key part of Delaware Humane’s vision of securing a safe environment for all companion animals is its mission to provide spay/neuter services. To appreciate the critical importance of this mission, one need only look at the appalling statistics on the thousands of healthy, adoptable animals euthanized in Delaware every year for want of a good home. It’s a matter of simple math: if adoptable animals outnumber adoptive homes, some animals are going to be without a home. The caption on the billboard, showing kittens and puppies saying, “We can’t add and subtract, but we sure can multiply,” is only too true.
DHA Spay/Neuter Van
Because DHA believes so strongly in spay/neuter surgery as a moral imperative, all our animals surgically altered before they are adopted. The only exceptions are rare situations in which the animal’s health requires a temporary postponement of surgery. In these cases the adopter signs an agreement to bring the pet back for surgery at a suitable time.
How the spay/neuter program works
- Animals are accepted by appointment only.
- Animals must be 8 weeks of age, but no more than 7 years of age.
- Animals must weigh 3 pounds, but no more than 50 pounds.
- Animals must be able to be handled by medical staff. Aggressive animals cannot be accepted for surgery. (Feral cats should arrive in traps.)
- Pregnant cats may be scheduled for surgery but cannot be producing milk.
- Each client may bring a maximum of 3 animals per surgery day.
- Clients must bring valid rabies certificate(s) on day of surgery for each scheduled animal, unless the animal will be receiving a rabies vaccine from DHA the day of surgery.
- If client fails to bring a valid rabies certificate, the scheduled animal will receive a rabies vaccine for $15.
- Dogs must be heartworm tested negative to undergo surgery.
- Animals must be free of bite wounds. Animals with bite wounds will be reported to the Delaware Department of Health Rabies Control Office.
Key points to know about DHA’s spay/neuter program
Due to the high volume and low-cost nature of DHA’s spay/neuter program, animals are not physically examined prior to surgery. Additionally, DHA does not offer what is called “pre-anesthetic bloodwork.” This bloodwork looks at key values of liver and kidney function. These organs are very important to processing anesthesia in the animal’s body. Animals that are known to have impaired kidney and/or liver function cannot receive surgery at DHA. If an animal has a pre-existing health condition such as a heart murmur, the animal should not be scheduled for surgery at DHA. This is for the safety, health, and well-being of the animal.
The following breeds are considered high-risk surgery candidates and cannot have surgery at DHA:
Brachycephalic breeds (pushed in faces)
- Pugs
- Bulldogs (English and French)
- Pekingese
Sighthounds
- Greyhound
- Italian greyhound
- Rhodesian Ridgeback
- Whippet
- Afghan hound
- Saluki
Felines
- Himalayans
- Persians
With your support, DHA is working hard to reduce the number of unwanted cats and dogs. Our vision of a safe environment for all companion animals means that our pets will neither add nor subtract nor multiply, but rather will spend their lives bringing joy to their human companions.
Exceptions to the DHA spay/neuter program are done on a case-by-case basis with approval from DHA medical manager and shelter veterinarians.
Last updated April 2007
