East Bay SPCA Extends the Pit Fix to Contra Costa County Residents

Owners of pit bulls or pit mixes can phone 1-877-4PIT-FIX for free spay & neuter surgery. Popular program expands its service area.

Oakland/Dublin CA July 1, 2004 -- The East Bay SPCA, which has established spay and neuter surgery centers in both Oakland and in Dublin, announced today that they are extending the successful East Bay Pit Fix program to Contra Costa county residents. The East Bay Pit Fix was launched at the beginning of the year, and was initially available only to Alameda County residents. Now funds have been allocated to perform free surgeries for pit bull and pit bull mixes owned by residents of Contra Costa county as well.

Spay and neuter programs around the region have made a huge dent in the number of homeless dogs and cats in public shelters, reducing euthanasia in the region by over 50% in seven years. However, the homeless pit bull population in the East Bay has increased. It is estimated that the majority of undesirable or unadoptable dogs being euthanized in local shelters are pit bulls or pit bull mixes. Most private shelters in the region dont accept pit bulls or pit bull mixes, considering them undesirable, and the public shelters which have to accept them are finding they are not easily adopted, leading to euthanasia, even of healthy dogs.

No matter how many adoptions our two Adoption Centers perform, we have a greater responsibility to the community, says Rachel Long, East Bay SPCA Director of Operations. There will never be enough homes for all the unwanted animals that wind up in our local shelters. By offering free spay and neuter surgery to pit bull owners, the East Bay SPCA hopes to tackle the problem by encouraging owners to take advantage of the benefits of the surgery, such as decreased aggression, even when finances are a factor, adds Long.

Animal welfare organizations have long emphasized that spay/neuter programs are the key to solving the euthanasia of homeless animals. One unspayed female dog, even by conservative calculations, can potentially be responsible for the birth of more than 67,000 dogs in just six years. People who breed their dogs, intentionally or unintentionally, contribute to the problem when their dogs remain unaltered or are given away unaltered.

Pit bull and pit bull mix owners can make an appointment for a free surgery by calling 1-877-4-PIT-FIX and asking for the Pit Fix, or by going to www.eastbayspca.org/thefix for more information.

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The East Bay SPCA includes two shelters and three clinics, including the Oakland SPCA and Tri-Valley SPCA in Dublin. Founded in 1874, the East Bay SPCA is dedicated to finding a responsible, loving home for every adoptable dog and cat in our community. The East Bay SPCA is a non-profit organization and receives no government funding. To reach our Adoption Center, call (510) 569-0702 or (925) 479-9670. To view our animals on line, visit www.eastbayspca.org.