Almost 70 dogs and cats in Somerford, Christchurch benefited from free services provided by the RSPCA, Bournemouth Cats Protection, Christchurch & East Dorset Councils and Sovereign Housing.
The services, which included micro-chipping, neutering, worm and flea treatments, were carried out by experts at a Dog and Cat Action Day held at Somerford ARC in Southey Road.
Julie Burden, Clinic Manager at the RSPCA Clinic in Richmond Park Road, said: “We’ve helped to fund this event to support the local community with the neutering of their pets. We find that animal rescue centres for cats and dogs are full with unwanted animals due to overbreeding. Neutering obviously helps prevent this but there are many other health benefits to neutering for both male and female animals.”
Michelle Jones, Animal Welfare Officer at Christchurch and East Dorset Councils, said: “We are offering free micro-chipping now because by April next year all dogs will need to be micro-chipped by law and it will be an offence not to have a dog microchipped with the details of the microchip kept updated with the owner’s name and address. Whilst is still currently law that all dogs have to wear an identity disc with the owner’s name and address inscribed on it, microchipping is a valuable asset in getting stray dogs quickly and safely back to their owners.”
Staff from Priory Vets Group carried out treatments of the cats which Bournemouth Cats Protection funded while the RSPCA vets helped with treatments for the dogs.
Julie Rush from Sovereign Housing, who jointly hosted this event along with Michelle Jones, said: “This has been a very successful event. All of the partners involved identified that there was a need to help educate the public in the welfare needs of their animals and I am sure that is what we’ve achieved today.”
