A new nonprofit group has partnered with the city of Collinsville to open a spay and neuter clinic in the Warren Billhartz Animal Shelter.
The Hartz Second Chance Spay and Neuter Clinic opened this past fall with a $10,000 grant from the Friends of Collinsville Animal Services to purchase surgical equipment and supplies. Friends of Collinsville Animal Services president Bill Stough was not available for comment.
Hartz board member and shelter volunteer Mary Parker said Hartz Second Chance, which was founded in November and has a 501(c)(3) nonprofit status pending, was created to fill a need in the community. The shelter's previous clinic operators, Troy-based Partners4Pets, stopped providing services at the clinic last July after the group decided not to renew its contract with the city.
Parker said Hartz Second Chance's mission is twofold: to provide low-cost spay and neuter services to the community and rescue organizations, and to facilitate adoptions.
"Some of us knew this was an animal control facility, so we wanted to bring something good and positive into this building," Parker said. "We decided to partner with the city of Collinsville because our main goal is to lower euthanasia and raise adoptions. We also seek to educate the public in the treatment and care of animals and to reduce the number of unwanted animals by promoting spay and neuter services."
The animal shelter is operated by the animal control department of the Collinsville Police Department. Police spokesman Lt. Eric Zaber said having new clinic operators at the animal shelter is a welcome move.
"It's a positive thing," Zaber said. "There has been a lot of work on both sides with the Police Department and this group to ensure that we get this as right as we can. The best interest of course is the animals that we bring into the shelter and to do what's best for the strays and giving whatever resources that we can to the shelter and the volunteers."
Headed by veterinarian Ellen Steen, Hartz Second Chance has another full-time veterinarian and a full-time vet tech on staff. All other operations are performed by about 20 volunteers at the clinic.
Parker said in addition to spay and neuter services, the clinic provides vaccinations and minor medical treatment. The cost to spay or neuter a dog or cat is $75 for animals less than 50 pounds and $100 for animals weighing more than 50 pounds. Hartz Second Chance clinic is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Parker said the clinic has served about 120 animals since it opened in November.
Contact reporter Ramona C. Sanders at 618-344-0264, ext. 136
* This story has been edited to clarify that Partners for Pets decided to end its contract with the city.
