Orange County Animal Services (OCAS) encourages county residents to take advantage of the department’s spay and neuter programs after a recent influx of several, unwanted litters of puppies.
“It’s unusual for so many puppies to come into our shelter at once - especially since this reflects an increase in unwanted animals and could serve as an early warning sign,” said Dr. Sandra Strong, Director Of Orange County Animal Services. “Our community has worked hard to decrease shelter animal intake and increase pet retention. We want to make sure people are aware of our spay and neuter programs in order to help reduce pet overpopulation. Puppies in the shelter is a sign of unwanted pets being born in the community. We offer low-cost and no-cost sterilization services.”
Orange County residents may visit www.orangecountync.gov/360/Spay-Neuter or call 919-932-4966 for more information about spay and neuter services. It is the hope of Animal Services and Orange County that spay and neuter initiatives will decrease the number of unwanted pets in the county and also reduce the number of animals entering the shelter. Spaying and neutering pets can also improve your pet’s health by lowering the risk of some diseases and other medical issues. Other issues (such as aggression, going into heat, territorial marking, or roaming) may also be improved once pets are spayed or neutered.
Anyone interested in adopting a shelter pet may stop by the shelter during operating hours, there is no appointment needed to view available pets. The shelter opens at noon, Monday through Saturday, and is located at 1601 Eubanks Road in Chapel Hill, NC. For more information about available pets, visiting the facility, and adopting pets, please visit www.orangecountync.gov/287/Available-Pets or call the Adoption Desk at 919-942-7387, option 3.
If you are not able to adopt but you would still like to help shelter pets, please consider making a donation to OCAS. Visit www.orangecountync.gov/364/Donations for more information about donating.