The important of desexing and microchipping your pets
from our CEO Denise Bradley
Newborn kittens always pull at our heartstrings here at AWLQ, and not just because they’re so cute, but because supply constantly outstrips demand, leaving so many unwanted cats, of all ages in our shelter. Over the last 57 years, these lives are dependent on us; and more importantly, your support to ensure they reach their forever-home.
As of today there are 67 cats and 28 kittens at our Coombabah Rehoming Centre. A further 130 are out on foster, and 60 more are on the waiting list. And that’s just on the Gold Coast. Ipswich Rehoming Centre currently has 40 cats and kittens in need of a new home.
If you would like to help make a difference to the precious lives of these cats and kittens please adopt or donate now.
This week we are waiving adoption fees for adults at the Ipswich Centre to help get these animals into homes. Kittens are half price!
The large number of cats and kittens in shelters and pounds is a situation repeated across Australia where not everyone has the AWLQ policy of keeping healthy and social animals until they find a home. Of the estimated 100,206 cats and kittens euthanised every year in Australia, 84,867 are believed to be healthy and treatable.
What is so frustrating is that this situation could largely be averted for the cost of a ‘snip and chip’. Desexing would prevent much of the problem of large numbers of unwanted kittens, who grow into unwanted cats. Microchipping, and ensuring that contact details are always up to date, would also make a big difference.
More than 90 per cent of microchipped cats are returned to their owners. Less than four per cent of those not micro chipped are reunited with their original owners. AWLQ has two vet clinics, one in Shelter Road Coombabah, the other in Tiger Street at Ipswich where you can book in your cat or dog for desexing from as early as six weeks. You book an appointment online and find out more about our community vet clinics here
You’ll pay half price to get a microchip during that procedure. And we always have beautiful cats, kittens, dogs and puppies all looking for new homes through adopt a pet section of our website. All are desexed, micro chipped and vaccinated.
Last year 15,000 animals went through our doors. A ‘snip and chip’ would go a long way to reducing those numbers and giving quality of life to animals in our care.
