JERSEY CITY – Mayor Steven M. Fulop announced last week that the Department of Health and Human Services has been awarded a $100,000 grant from PetSmart Charities to provide low cost spay/neuter surgeries for dogs and cats.
“The cost of pet care is the reason most often cited for people giving up their pets, and cost is also the major reason why more people do not spay or neuter their pets,” said Mayor Fulop. “This is why we continue to seek grant funding for programs such as this to improve the health and well-being of our pet population.”
The grant covers all dogs and cats in the area from the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail tracks to Fulton Street, between Kennedy Boulevard and Garfield Avenue. This area was chosen because of the large number of stray dogs and cats picked up in 2013. The grant funding makes it easy for pet owners to spay or neuter their animals. Nearly 20 percent of all residents in this area are below the federal poverty guideline.
The grant will provide surgeries for more than 1,000 pet dogs and cats and 150 feral cats, more than 60 percent of all the unaltered dogs and cats estimated to live in the area. Residents will provide a small contribution for the surgery, as low as $10 per cat and $20 per dog depending on one’s income level. Surgeries will be provided by the Animal Clinic and Hospital of Jersey City, People for Animals, and other participating veterinary clinics.
In addition to helping control animal population, spaying or neutering your dog or cat helps them be healthier. Fixed animals avoid many reproductive health issues, are less aggressive and have fewer fighting issues, and tend to live longer than unaltered animals. — By Al Sullivan
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