East Shelby hosts spay/neuter clinic run by All-Star Animal Rescue
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Donna Vanderlaan, a member of the board of PAWS Animal Shelter, and Mike Fuller, president of East Shelby Fire Company, look at all the cats in cages waiting to be spayed.
EAST SHELBY – A spaying/neutering clinic originating in Cowlesville brought its services to East Shelby Fire Hall on Wednesday, where cats and dogs were spayed and neutered at reduced costs to the pet owners.
The clinic was the idea of Alycia Baran-Falbo of Cowlesville, founder of All-Star Animal Rescue.
A life-long animal lover, Baran-Falbo has been a vet assistant and has done animal rescue work for 20 years, during which time she became very aware of the problems with animals, namely, over-population and unwanted animals – problems she very much wanted to get to the root of.
Baran-Falbo collaborated with PAWS Animal Shelter in Albion and Friends of the Orleans County Animal Shelter to bring the mobile veterinary service to Orleans County.
Assisting were Donna Vanderlaan, vice president of PAWS, and All-Star Animal Rescue’s vice president Emilee Diebold of Tonawanda.
(Left) A vet’s assistant carries an unconscious dog from the mobile hospital van into East Shelby Fire Hall, where it will be monitored until awake. (Right) Alycia Baran-Falbo of Cowlesville, founder of All-Star Animal Rescue, comforts a dog which has just been neutered at a clinic Wednesday at East Shelby Fire Hall.
Vanderlaan knows Allen Turner, a member of East Shelby Fire Company, and asked him if they might allow use of the fire hall for such an event. He brought it to a meeting and they approved it, even offering to donate the use.
Vanderlaan said there were a lot of laws for dogs, but none for cats. The Orleans County animal control officer is currently working on some new directions to govern stray cats, Vanderlaan said.
“We have sections in Albion which are infested with stray cats,” she said. “They are everywhere.”
She said the ideal solution is “TNR,” trap, neuter and release.
Any cats who are able to be socialized, All-Star Animal Rescue will try to get them adopted. Those who are truly feral have to be returned where they were caught, Baran-Falbo said.
Mike Fuller stands next to the mobile animal hospital parked outside the East Shelby Fire Hall’s truck bay, where a spaying/neutering clinic was taking place Wednesday by All-Star Animal Rescue of Cowlesville, in collaboration with Paws Animal Shelter of Albion.
In order to control the cat population, All-Star Animal Rescue seeks donations from businesses and the public.
The big problem, according to Baran-Falbo and Vanderlaan, is that neutering and spaying are so expensive, and most people can’t afford it. The cost to have a dog spayed at a veterinarian’s office is between $500 and $1,500, while the cost to spay a cat is between $300 and $600.
Donations allowed All-Star Animal Rescue to spay 26 cats and neuter six dogs on Wednesday at a reduced cost, with mobile veterinary services provided by Dr. Jennifer Graf from Whiskers to Tail Affordable Veterinary Services in Cowlesville.
Vanderlaan said they collected cans and bottles, in addition to seeking donations, to be able to afford Wednesday’s Clinic.
“We have dates available and if enough donations come in, we would like to have another clinic here in the future,” Baran-Falbo said.
Services they perform always include spaying or neutering, rabies shot and distemper vaccine when needed.
Vanderlaan also shared information about Shannon Blount’s efforts in Medina to control the over-population of cats. Blount is head of the Medina Team of Cat by Cat Inc. that strives to help control the feral cat population with targeted TNVR (trap, neuter, vaccinate, return) of community cats. For more information on Cat by Cat, click here.
Donations to support All-Star Animal Rescue and help fund a second clinic in Orleans County may be sent to them at 323 Kern Rd., Cowlesville, 14037; or by calling Baran-Falbo at (716) 208-8333 for instructions how pay online.
