PARVO OUTBREAK has lead to unneeded euthanizations at the shelter.  The key to managing this deadly disease is vaccinating puppies before they are brought to the Humane Society 

Rapid City, SD - The Humane Society of the Black Hills is thrilled to announce their new low-cost spay/neuter & vaccination program now open to the public. Over five years ago the Humane Society of the Black Hills mandated that all animals adopted from its facility be spayed or neutered. As a result of this requirement, the euthanasia rates have decreased by almost 50 percent. In 2009, six thousand unwanted animals were taken in at the Humane Society. Of those, 260 dogs and 1800 cats were euthanized. To further decrease unwanted pets and to benefit the health of animals, the Humane Society has opened their new low-cost spay /neuter program & vaccinations to the public without any income restrictions for individuals or families.

Dr. Wendy Howard, who will be performing the surgeries, is a native of South Dakota, growing up in the Black Hills region.  Dr. Howard graduated from the University of Missouri, College of Veterinary Medicine in 1999.  Upon graduation she served 4 years in the Army Veterinary Corp, where she was stationed at Kirtland AFB, NM and Ellsworth AFB. After leaving the military, Dr. Howard stayed in the Rapid City area, working for a swine genetic company, as their Manager of Veterinary Services, and then at a local veterinary clinic as the small animal general practitioner.  Dr. Howard has over 10 years of experience in companion animal medicine, focusing primarily on preventive and wellness care.  She has been with the Humane Society of the Black Hills since April 2009.

Having your pet spayed or neutered & vaccinated is beneficial to their health as well. It will increase your cats’ life by 3-5 years, for dogs 1-3 years. Pets that have been spayed or neutered have a very low to no risk of mammary gland tumors/cancer, prostate cancer, ovarian and testicular cancers. It will also make your cat or dog a better pet. It reduces your pets urge to roam and decreases the risk of contracting diseases. Surveys indicate that as many as 85% of dogs hit by cars are intact.

For more information on the low-cost spay and neuter program or to set up an appointment to have your pet fixed-please call the Humane Society of the Black Hills at 394-4170, Wed-Sat from 9am to 6pm and on Sundays from noon to 5pm.