‘Overwhelming’ response to new low-cost spay and neuter cruiser in Victoria

A new low-cost cat spay and neuter clinic is set to open soon, and founder Sharon Rubin says demand has already been “overwhelming.”

The Spay and Neuter Cruiser Veterinary Clinic will hold an open house at 405 David Street on August 3 and 10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., down from its tentative opening date of August 20. Although website bookings for spays and neuters are scheduled to open over the August long weekend, there has already been an influx of requests.

“I have people call me and say they want to make an appointment, but they live in Nanaimo,” she said, adding that they accept bookings from the island. “These are not people who would have gone to a normal full-service clinic and are just coming here because of the cost. They really didn’t have the money to go to a normal clinic. Some of these cats are three, four, five, six years old and they’ve lived with them this whole time, without them being neutered.”

The clinic is run by the Itty Bitty Kitty Committee, a nonprofit that Rubin, a tax accountant, started with her two teenage daughters less than two years ago. After volunteering at cat rescue organizations, Rubin was inspired to raise money for a neonatal unit so she could care for tiny kittens in need or newborns without their mothers. The nonprofit also began adopting cats. But Rubin’s ambitions soon grew.

“When I really got serious about rescue work, I realized that you can’t rescue your way out of this problem. You just can’t. There are too many cats and kittens in the world, and if we were to save them all, it wouldn’t help because there would just be more.

“The solution to the problem is ultimately affordable spaying and neutering,” she said.

With the help of fundraising, Rubin was able to purchase a large mobile trailer and convert it into a surgical unit.

The sole purpose of the cruiser, which is intended to serve as a permanent, real veterinary clinic, is to spay and neuter cats at a low cost. The business model and utilitarian design ensure low prices.

“We don’t pay for any staff other than the veterinary medical staff. I myself am 100 percent volunteer,” Rubin said. “We have a lot of volunteers that do this. And we don’t have a lot of overhead because we’ve picked a location to rent that is relatively affordable.”

People also have to pay for the surgery when they book it. Part of the reason is that the nonprofit aims to be fully booked for procedures every day to keep costs down. If people pay up front, it reduces the chance of no-shows.

Rubin said the goal is to spay and neuter a total of 20 animals per day.

The clinic also offers microchips and vaccines at an affordable price.

“Everyone gets the same great care as they would in a typical full-service clinic, the only difference being that we don’t do blood work before anesthesia. But a lot of clinics don’t do that.”

The service will also benefit animal shelters that need affordable spays and neuters so they can continue to do their work, she said.

Rubin is currently awaiting final approval from CVDC to get their accreditation, and then the cruiser is ready to rumble. It will remain largely on-site, but will also venture out to serve the community.

For more information, visit ibkc.ca and spayandneutercruiser.ca.