BRING MOBILE SPAY/NEUTER UNIT TO ALL WEST VIRGINIA

BRING HELP FOR ANIMALS MOBILE SPAY/NEUTER
UNIT TO THE ENTIRE STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA


TO: The Honorable Governor Robert Wise
The Honorable Senator Robert Byrd
The Honorable Senator John D. Rockefeller
Honorable Members of the West Virginia Legislature

The West Virginia Board of Veterinary Medicine has restricted Help for Animals from operating its low cost spay/neuter mobile unit outside of a 50 mile radius from the fixed clinic located in Barboursville, WV, thus denying the vast majority of state residents access to this important service. The reasons given by the Board are that:

1. There is no reception area to the mobile unit. HFA has advised the Board that it will set up an awning with tables and chairs to serve as a reception area, but was advised this was not adequate to serve as a reception area.

2. The mobile unit leaves the area where it has performed services on a particular day at the end of that day and is not available should post-surgery complications arise with an animal which had surgery at the mobile unit on that particular day. HFA has advised the Board that an animal could be taken for treatment of any post-surgery complications to a vet of choice in the area in which the animal was spayed/neutered at the expense of HFA. Again, the Board said this was not adequate.

Help For Animals was organized by its founder, the late Dorothy Cridlin, and a handful of volunteers for the purpose of curbing the pet overpopulation in the Tri-state area. It was incorporated in 1977 as a non-profit corporation that is exempt from tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service.

HFA is active in educating the public and school children in the importance of spaying and neutering, how to be a responsible pet owner, and the general welfare of all animals. With membership now exceeding over 250, in addition to still giving financial assistance to low-income families, HFA operates a low cost spay/neuter clinic and its services are available to the general public regardless of income. Through the efforts of HFA, the Federation of Humane Organizations and a very generous donation by Laura Davis of Clarksburg, the mobile spay/neuter unit was made possible in 2001.

The $100,000 mobile van is practically idle when it could be traveling West Virginia spaying and neutering animals. These animals are ones that probably would not make it to the vet to get altered. Think of how this could assist shelters around the state. But thanks to the West Virginia Veterinary Board, the van has been prohibited from traveling more than 50 miles from Barboursville.

We, the undersigned West Virginians, respectfully request your help to have immediately removed the restriction imposed by the West Virginia Board of Veterinary Medicine which limits Help for Animals from operating its low cost spay/neuter mobile unit outside of a 50 mile radius from the fixed clinic located in Barboursville, WV, thus denying the vast majority of state residents access to this important service. We are outraged that the valuable services provided by this van are not being made available to all of West Virginia.