Spay and Neuter Clinic: Mobile Vets

AHPPA Spay and Neuter Clinic Visits Guápiles

By Attending Veterinarian, Dr. Abi O’Connor BVM&S, MRCVS

Boy and his Spayed Dog

Driving with my colleagues (a team for the AHPPA mobile spay and neuter clinic) through the rain forest at dawn, passing lush green hills overlooking active volcanoes, we could not help but become engrossed in the truly surreal landscape.  As we approached our destination – a small school on the outskirts of Guápiles in Costa Rica – we were met by stark reality.

Waiting outside the school where we would set up our mobile spay and neuter clinic was a line of families, each with 3,000 colones ($6 USD) in their pockets and their pet in hand.  Young girls clutching kittens to their chests, boys leading dogs with leashes made of twine lined up around the block to have their pets spayed or neutered at a price they could afford.

After setting up three collapsible surgery tables under a tin roof with a single light bulb we opened the gates to our mobile clinic and began to work our way through the seemingly endless line of dogs and cats.  One after the other, dogs and cats were sedated, anesthetized and sterilized before getting wrapped in a blanket and returned to their owner.

Despite the almost unbearable heat that later turned into a torrential

Vets in Action: AHPPA Mobile Clinic

thunderstorm, owners waited patiently at their pet’s side prior to surgery and during their recovery.  One curious boy peeked around the corner of our sheltered space to watch his dog, Perla, be spayed.  He then helped carry her over to the recovery area and sat by her side until she regained consciousness.

Day soon turned to dusk and light became scarce forcing us to gather our tables under the one light bulb to operate safely.  As my colleagues and I raced against time to avoid operating in total darkness, I began to realize the extent of Costa Rica’s animal control problem.

Dire Needs (Partially) Met with Spay and Neuter Clinic

Lack of funds and animal husbandry education prevents the majority of Costa Ricans from caring for their pet’s needs appropriately.  This, coupled with limited access to affordable veterinary care, leads to overpopulation of street dogs and cats, and hence otherwise preventable disease.

One dog we were presented with had an extremely large tumor on his penis, called a transmissible venereal tumor (TVT).  This type of tumor is transmitted by sexual intercourse and can thus be prevented by castration to prevent sexual behavior and spread of the disease.  Although this type of tumor can be treated quite effectively with chemotherapy, due to the extent of the tumor and lack of access to the necessary drugs the owners decided to have their dog euthanized to prevent further suffering.

In addition to the 52 spays and neuters performed, owners were encouraged to purchase de-worming medication (500 colones per tablet, approximately $1 USD per tablet) to treat their pet’s internal parasites.  Although it felt like we had only scratched the surface on Costa Rica’s animal control problem, we made a small impact in Guápiles that day which I hope we can continue the mobile spay and neuter clinic to extend throughout Costa Rica.

After the last surgery of the day was performed, kisses were given and hand shakes exchanged; we left as we had departed earlier that morning…quietly into the dark.

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Donate for Dogs

Can you help?  Click here to make a donation to AHPPA and be part of the solution. Help us keep this important affordable mobile spay and neuter clinic program going for those who can only afford low cost services. The goal is to educate and reduce the street dog (and cat) population in Costa Rica. Thank you!