Toronto Animal Services launches SNYP Truck to provide affordable spaying, neutering

Toronto Animal Services has launched a mobile veterinary hospital that will see staff perform low-to-no-cost spaying and neutering of cats and dogs for lower-income residents.

The vehicle is called the SNYP (Spay Neuter Your Pets) Truck and contains an accredited surgical suite along with a fully stocked, post-surgical suite for pets to recuperate.

The 44-foot truck, staffed by a Toronto Animal Services veterinarian and support staff, travels across the city to help remove barriers for clients. People bring their cats and dogs to the truck at 9 a.m., and they can return for pickup as early as 3 p.m.

“We’re really trying to target the population of people that wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford veterinary care, and especially those animals that might be breeding or relinquished to the shelter,” Dr. Hannah Booth, the organization’s chief veterinarian, told CityNews on Thursday while setup in the parking lot of Jane Finch Mall.

“Previous to this truck, we were doing our surgeries at our stationary shelters, and those shelters aren’t easily accessible to the public. It’s hard for people to find transportation to bring their animals to surgery.”

In addition to spaying and neutering, staff also provide certain preventative shots, check for pests along with various ailments, and perform nail care.

Booth said the procedure for male cats can happen in as little as a minute, and for female cats, it can take five to 10 minutes. She added it takes a bit longer for dogs (the dog needs to be under 30 pounds to qualify due to the space constraints in the truck).

Toronto Animal Services staff said to qualify for the service, the total household income can’t exceed $50,000. If approved, it costs $56.50 and $90.40 to neuter a male cat and dog, respectively. It costs $79.10 and $146.90 to spay a female cat and dog, respectively. For people who have lower incomes, there is the potential to get a fee waiver.

When asked if she and other team members have been able to save lives through this service, Booth quickly responded.

“Absolutely, without a doubt, for sure,” she said.

“We see pets that come in, and the owners realize they’ve been [in pain], they’ve been uncomfortable. We’ll do the procedure. We’ll find a lot of cysts or an unusual uterus or sometimes like they had an infection in the uterus, a pyometra, had we not done the spay it would have been life-threatening.”

Booth added the program has preventative benefits too.

“Being out doing this community work is saving us money down the road in terms of having these litters being brought in, having pets relinquished if they are doing unwanted behaviour such as spraying or continuous litters. So, yeah, the community side of it and decreasing the pet population is really the foremost reason that we’re here doing it.”

For decades, there have been continued pushes to get pets spayed, and it’s a message Booth reinforced once again during the SNYP Truck tour.

“One would be for yourself, for your family, one would be for the community, and the other would be for the pet itself,” she said.

When it comes to health benefits, Booth said it can help prevent or eliminate certain cancer risks. She added a cat can get pregnant before six months, so she cautioned against waiting too long.

Even for people who have one pet in the house and keep it confined to the property, escapes and accidents can happen. Booth cited an example of two female cats being impregnated by a Maine Coon cat that managed to climb in by forcing open a partially closed window.

Booth said there are hopes to expand the program. She noted it is only funded by donations. PetSmart provided a large round of initial funding.

“We have a lot of people on our waitlist. We really want to be able to offer this service to more people,” Booth said.

There are plans to buy a second, smaller truck so it can make its way into areas of Toronto with narrower streets and to help cut wait times. Donations can be made through Toronto Animal Services.

Toronto Animal Services shelters continue to see surge of animals in care

The newer method of delivering spay and neuter services comes at a time when Toronto Animal Services shelters continue to see their care facilities full of dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and occasionally birds.

“We’re open 365 days a year. Our animals are … needing our care all of the time. It’s hard for us to see these animals sitting in shelters,” Elana Trainoff, the manager of partnerships for the organization, told CityNews during a tour of the shelter at 1300 Sheppard Ave. W.

“There are still a lot of people living in our communities that have too many animals, and it’s hard for them to manage them from a financial perspective, logistically, and that’s how we ended up with our shelters being so full.”

Trainoff said Toronto Animal Services is running a campaign until the end of January that sees the fees for larger dogs slashed to $25. The organization ran a similar campaign in the past due to larger dogs staying at the facilities for longer periods.

“Big dogs are really hard to find homes for when they need space. They need time to exercise with their families. So we’re really hoping to put a spotlight on some of these amazing companions that are ready to go to their forever homes,” she said.

As for animals up for adoption at the North Region shelter, the focus is not just on the friendly dogs being cared for. CityNews saw several affectionate cats and rabbits waiting to be adopted with staff working to create makeshift areas to keep up with the demand.

“They are just highly sociable animals, and in the right environment, they will come out and play with you all day long and just give you tons and tons of love,” Trainoff said, referring to rabbits as the cuddly animals that can be overlooked.

“It’s the same with guinea pigs as well. They’re also amazing family pets, great for families with children.”

Trainoff also touted the benefits of having an animal.

“Pet ownership is such an incredible quality-of-life improvement thing for people. It helps to combat loneliness and animals just bring joy into people’s lives,” she said.

“We’re trying to, you know, daily make that an accessible possibility for people who have never had a pet before.”

Click here to learn more about the Toronto Animal Services adoption process (which involves questions about what the person looking to adopt is seeking in a pet, information about the surroundings and then filing out an application before a final meet-and-greet appointment is scheduled), fees, and pets waiting to be adopted.