Wild West Spay/Neuter Fund

About the Fund: 

Rescuing, fostering, and adoption is an important way to support animal welfare, but the only way to ensure lasting change is by addressing root causes of animal suffering. Spay/neuter outreach is probably the most effective way to do this, and it’s why we choose to invest in trap/neuter/release, spay/neuter clinics, and other forms of outreach to end the cycle of breeding.

The Wild West Spay/Neuter Fund is dedicated to stopping the overflow of animals in BC’s remote communities, focused currently on the Cariboo/Chilcotin area. Many people in Metro Vancouver or other urban areas would be shocked to see the packs of free-roaming dogs or feral cat colonies that exist just a few hours drive from our major cities. 

In our rural communities, a vet or even a pet store is a minimum four-hour drive away, sometimes in treacherous conditions. Not everyone is able to drive or has access to a reliable, safe vehicle. Between the costs of surgery, waiting lists and the need to book a hotel for an overnight stay, surgery is out of reach for many people.

There are hundreds more animals who don’t have owners, roaming free and fending for themselves. When these animals deliver a litter, it is in a secluded area and it’s not uncommon for the animals to die of starvation or exposure, especially in subzero temperatures.

Wild West Animal League was founded in 2020 to raise awareness of the needs in our own province, and provide spay/neuter surgeries to animals most at risk of unwanted breeding. In 2024 the organization partnered with Straight Outta Rescue who was doing similar work in the same region, so that even more animals could be helped, creating the Wild West Spay/Neuter Fund.

All donations to the Wild West Spay/Neuter Fund will be spent on spay/neuter expenses for BC’s vulnerable animals, including individual surgeries, spay/neuter clinics, or trap/neuter/release programs. Every animal we can fix today means 10 – 100 animals that we won’t be digging out of the snow or putting in shelters tomorrow. In the long term, once population numbers are manageable, we have also seen that communities are in a much better position to take care of the animals they already have. It’s one of the best investments you can make in animal welfare!