Ontario Spca York Region Animal Centre

My dog came home extremely bruised and extremely swollen and actually needed more pain killers than originally given to me. After doing research online, I read that the extreme scrotum swelling isn't normal and it was due to the vet being rough. He was bruised throughout his whole private area and it got worse as the days went on, I even went back to follow up. I don't know what happened but just to be safe I wouldn't bring him back here again if I could go back in time. I would pay the full price to have him stay at my vet and stay overnight under a vets care. Read Less

Wow. Honestly wow. After much back and forth in our home I finally gave in and agreed that our little Optimus Prime was leaving too many "oil stains" around the house and getting a little too frisky for his own good, and it was time to give the little guy the old snip snip. I'd heard about the cost effective alternatives for spay and neutering provided by the OSPCA in Newmarket and to be honest I didn't believe it. After doing all the research and finding the average price to neuter our frenchie to be about $300, only to learn the the OSPCA does it for $85 all in - I was shocked. I had my doubts at first I'll be honest. To those in a hurry this isn't the best option for you, you need to be patient and realize that the wait list to get in is about 4-6 months. Step one: call and leave your information in full for the spay and neuter clinic (done in late November). Step two: wait approximately 2 months for call back to set up and book appointment. Know that you will need to pay in full at the time of booking. (Call received in early February). *** I could have booked an appointment for mid February but due to scheduling I ended up delaying until the first Monday of March ***Step 3: make sure you check their website for all pre-op instructionsStep 4: show up on time for drop off and pick up on d-day. While some people might feel the process here is automated and cold, I'd counter with efficient and professional. Every step of the process has been pre thought out and because of their advanced planning they're able to execute a large number of "fixins" each day. When I arrived at 7:50am (you need to arrive and be registered between 8-8:30am or you lose your spot and deposit) they weren't open yet but had a bucket of clipboards set out with pens ready to go to help with patient intake and registration. 8am the doors open, you confirm your appointment along with all the other pet owners waiting, hand over your form and are asked a series of qualifying questions before they take your pet back for initial inspection to clear them for surgery. Once cleared you're given the thumbs up and a pick up window for that day. One this day, while I had prepared for a 4pm pick up they advised that I could come between 3-4pm and that anyone showing up after 4pm would be charged additionally by the minute. It all sounds harsh but if you follow the rules and respect their time (keeping in mind you likely just saved yourself $200-400) these rules and restrictions make a lot of sense. The post-op info sheet and the instructions you receive on pick up, are totally idiot proof so you can ensure your pet has a smooth transition home and your made aware of everything you might expect in the days that follow. You're also given two pre measured oral syringes of pain killers to help make your pet comfortable in the days that follow. I'm so thrilled with everything about this experience, service, staff, organization and obviously price. My next pet without question will be brought here and I recommend you do the responsible Thing and have your pet spay and neutered with the OSPCA. Opie says hello and thanks! Read Less

I had the same experience as one of the previous writers. I have a female cat, called spay center and left a message in December, 2010. It should have been 2 months of wait time. It's been 2.5 months and I have not received any call back. I called again today, and the wait time is, guess what, 4 months for cats, and up to 8 months for dogs. Read Less

I had heard from a friend who is a vet that the OSPCA does spay/neuter at cost.  If not for her, then I would never have thought to check their website to look into this further.  I'm so glad that I did, because after receiving quotes of $500/cat at several vets around Newmarket, I was pleased as punch to find that my two female cats would be $50/each at the OSPCA.When I called to leave a message in December, I was advised it would take around 12 weeks to receive a call back.  I received a call in the first week of February.  It was a long wait, but I understand that there are tons of other pets waiting to get in there too, and when I did get a call back, it was to advise me of a slot open the following week.  The woman on the phone was very polite and explained everything that was required of me.The OSPCA has a very efficient system they use to process around 25 animals per day.  Some of their rules might not be what you are expecting (like, I had to rush around asking someone to borrow their cat carrier), but following them lets them do their job best. Things to remember when going this route to fix animals:- Have patience when waiting for a call back.  It will take a long time, don't get anxious and start calling them repeatedly.  If you have kittens/puppies you'd like to get fixed in the future, call NOW.- Each pet will need its own carrier- Drop off is 8am in the morning.  There will be other people there for the same thing.- Pickup is 5pm the same day.  Be on time, as they do a debriefing as a group.- They can be vaccinated, get a rabies shot, chipped, etc.  If you want any of these done, it will cost extra.  Everything is reasonably priced and would cost more at a regular vet.  (Know what you want done before you get there.  I was surprised at what I could have done and wasn't prepared so got nothing done.)- Speak to your vet about getting blood work done beforehand to make sure your pet's liver/kidneys can handle the anesthetic.  The OSPCA will not do this, and while it's not mandatory, it's something to be aware of as a health risk of going under anesthetic.  (Please note: I'm not trained in animal health.  I'm just repeating what I've heard from the OSPCA and my vet on the matter.)I am 100% satisfied with my experience at the OSPCA.  When I dropped my girls off and picked them up, the staff was very caring and friendly.  The price is right and they do so many spay/neuters per day, I felt confident leaving my girls to their expert care.Also, to clarify: One of the other reviewers complained of a blue mark left on their pet's belly after the incision.  This is actually a tattoo to mark the animal as having been fixed.  It's not supposed to wash off or fade.  They told us about this during my debriefing today, so I thought I'd share that, too. Read Less

When I first heard of the SPCA Spay/Neuter Clinic, I seriously thought it was too good to be true. If you have ever priced out the cost of a spay or neuter in Toronto, you are aware it will most likely cost you hundreds of dollars. Here are the rates at the clinic: Cats (Neuter or Spay) $50Dog Neuter $60Dog Spay $80Keep in mind these may change so confirm prices with them yourself. They will trim your pets nails for free at the time of surgery, as well as give any needed vaccines for $10 each and remove any hernias they may find during surgery for $15. With these kind of prices, you can imagine I had my fair share of people saying "Yeah, but... do you trust these people to do a good job?". Honestly? From the moment I walked in the clinic I had a great feeling. They are incredibly organized and the people working there are so nice. They spay and neuter 25 animals a day, and one thing I noticed is they seemed to know every animal's name as we checked in and out. The clinic is a bit out of the way. There are no buses going out that way. You do have to wait a long time for a call back. Their answering machine mentioned they get 500 calls a day.. Expect at least 8 weeks for a call-back. If you have several in-tact animals in the house, mention that in your message. Oh, and the animal should be in between 6 months and 6 years old as per the website. My biggest piece of advice is to be patient and understanding. I know it takes a while for a call back, and you must be prompt to call them back and show up on time (or you will lose your spot). Keep in mind what they're doing is a great thing, and they have their conditions for a reason. You must drop your pets off at 8 am and you must pick them up at 5, no exceptions. They want to give you pre and post operative instructions as a group, rather than giving the speech out 25 times. We got there to pick up early, so we just went to the adoption centre next door and were tempted to adopt yet another kitten. I felt my cats were in great care, and when I picked them up, they were groggy but still purring and in a surprisingly good mood all things considered. They do not give you pain killers to bring home, but they give them a long lasting one after surgery and that seemed to be just fine for my cats. I highly recommend this place and would use it again if I ever got another pet. Read Less