The Rascal Clinic helps people spay and neuter their pets in Ross County
By: Charlie Ihlenfeld
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CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (WOUB) – Two hours before signs-ups were set to begin, people were waiting in line to put their name down for the Rascal Clinic.
The clinic spays and neuters pets, a routine procedure that has taken on particular urgency as the population of cats and dogs has skyrocketed in the years following the pandemic.
Rascal started their work in 2006, and the program operates throughout the state but primarily in southern and southeast Ohio.
“And we see a lack of veterinary resources in those areas,” said Dr. Michelle Gonzalez. “You also have lower and middle incomes. So you start seeing more of a struggle.”
“We’re not rushing things,” said Gonzalez, a veterinarian with Rascal. “We’re doing everything efficiently, but everything is done with quality in mind.”
Ross County Humane Society is one of many shelters that saw their spaces nearly empty during COVID, followed by a spike in the aftermath.
“As things have progressed, the number of dogs we have seen coming in has increased probably 25 percent,” said Thomas. Shelters across the nation are fighting this problem, and overcrowding has swiftly become a common thread.
“Shelters are so full they cannot take animals in,” said Gonzalez. “People cannot get their animals fixed. The animals are over reproducing.”
The American Veterinary Association estimates over the 2020s, cat populations will grow from around 65 to over 85 million and dog populations will grow from 82 to over 100 million. On top of the growing population pressure, Thomas gets calls almost every day from people looking to surrender their dogs.
“A lot of times it’s an entire litter of puppies or three or four or five or six dogs,” said Thomas. She and Gonzalez emphasized how important spaying and neutering is for animals to help combat this problem.
“Shelters are so full they cannot take animals in,” said Gonzalez. “People cannot get their animals fixed. The animals are over reproducing.”
Gonzalez and Rascal operate high-volume sterilization clinics, something that makes them more affordable than a traditional veterinary practice. The lower cost brought in high numbers of clients for this clinic.
“We’re not rushing things,” said Gonzalez, a veterinarian with Rascal. “We’re doing everything efficiently, but everything is done with quality in mind.”
With the increased demand, Ross County Humane Society is moving back to having increased Rascal Clinics starting on July 28th.