Fix Blitz: Saving the Lives of Thousands

By Heather Williams

Did you know that an estimated 6,000-7,000 animals are euthanized at the Kanawha/Charleston Animal Shelter every year? You may ask why this number is so large, and the answer is simple: there are too many unwanted litters of cats and dogs being born.

There’s a simple solution to this problem that will save many lives, however. The Kanawha County Spay/Neuter Task Force, also known as Fix Blitz, offers a low-cost spay and neuter program to reduce this number. The task force was created in 2009 by the Kanawha County Commission to cut down the number of animals that were being put into shelters and then euthanized. Then, in 2010, the Fix Blitz came to life.

Since then, Fix Blitz has seen at least 500 animals spayed or neutered. This year’s goal is to see 300 animals fixed. “That may sound like a small number, but when you think about all of the offspring that can be produced by an unaltered cat or dog in their lifetime,you’ll see that fixing that many animals would save thousands of lives in the long term,” says Nicky Walters, the visionary of Fix Blitz.

The task force’s main partner in this initiative is the Kanawha/Charleston Humane Association. Together, they work towards the very common goal of saving animals. “This isn’t a passive project,” says Walters. “We are proactive—always looking for new ways to solve this massive problem.”

Animal Care Associates, Avalon Dog and Cat Hospital, Good Shepherd Veterinary Hospital, Gateway and North Gateway Animal Hospitals, Perry’s Animal Hospital, Kanawha City Veterinary Hospital, Kanawha Boulevard Animal Hospital and Dunbar Animal Hospital are also partners with Fix Blitz, which reduces the cost of the spay/neuter procedure if the owner goes through the task force.

Each year, Fix Blitz holds a number of blitz events around Kanawha County. Their goal is to arm the community with the information needed on spaying and neutering. “My vision was to go physically to the various parts of the county throughout the summer,” says Walters, “be present in the communities, tell people their options when it comes to spaying and neutering, and tell them why it is important.”

With Fix Blitz being such a significant initiative, their membership is made up solely of volunteers who are passionately striving to save lives. With such a dedicated group, the volunteers invest many hours planning and attending blitz events, putting together information packets and returning phone calls. “This project will not yield an immediate result,” says Walters, “but over time as education spreads and more litters are prevented, we believe change will be achieved.”

Fix Blitz will need the following information, via e-mail or phone, if you would like to receive a voucher:

• Your first and last name
• Your complete mailing address
• The phone number where you can be reached
• Whether you have a dog, cat or both, and if the pet is male or female
• If it is a dog, how much does the dog weigh?
• Which veterinarian referred you to Fix Blitz or which veterinarian you prefer in Kanawha County (Please note Fix Blitz may have to send you to a vet other than the one you request because not all of them participate in the program.)

For cats, the cost for spaying is $30 and neutering is $15. For dogs, the neutering fee is $30 and the spaying fee is $45. Most participating veterinarian officers require that the animals be current on their vaccinations. If the animal is not current on its shorts, the veterinarian will update them for an extra fee.

The Kanawha County Spay/Neuter Task Force and Fix Blitz invites pet owners from all around Kanawha County to contact them for more information on spaying and neutering or to request a voucher for their pet. If you would like to get in touch with Fix Blitz for more information, to make a donation or to ask about volunteer opportunities, you can contact Nicky Walters at (304) 982-0086 or by e-mail at dorella1975@hotmail.com or you can visit the Fix Blitz Facebook page.

About the Author

Heather Williams is an English and journalism major at Concord University. While attending college, she also free-lances for the local newspaper, The Princeton Times. Williams is the media representative for Campus Crusade for Christ and was recently inducted into the Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society.