Wednesday morning’s wind gusts had me collecting the last of the yard décor as I watched the dark and ominous clouds approach from the west. The thermometer read a mild
For years, spay and neuter programs have played a pivotal role in keeping stray animal populations at bay, especially in Mesa County.
However, as the coronavirus pandemic raged throughout 2020, spay and neuter procedures ceased entirely, sometimes for upward of a month at a time since theyâre considered an âelective surgery.â
During the height of the pandemic, veterinarian clinics across the state were only performing surgical procedures where the animalâs life was at stake.
As a result, concern has since risen about an influx in feral cat and dog populations within the valley.
âThe cause of (feral cat populations growing during the pandemic) was that the government shut down all their veterinarian clinics so that they would have their PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) available (.) that made it very difficult because there was no way to spay female cats nor neuter male cats, and therefore there was an explosion in the feral cat population,â said M