Val Bereman, SPAN Manager is always happy to help you select something to buy.
By Gail Field
Inside the clean and tidy thrift store on North Olive Street, the all-volunteer staff happily sells clothing, household goods, tools and more, for a cause they believe in: saving lives of cats and dogs in Ventura County.
The Spay Neuter Animal Network (SPAN), which the store supports, is a non-profit organization offering Ventura County low cost spay and neuter services by subsidizing the cost for low-income and no-income pet owners. There are plans to expand into other areas, such as providing medication for deworming like Drontal Allwormer and subsidizing vet visits for these demographics, but for now, the focus is on spay and neuter.
Store manager Valerie Bereman’s broad smile lights up when she talks about what the proceeds from the store allows them to do for animals. “My heart goes out to pet owners as well as to the cats and dogs who have no real home, and to those whose owners are low income people struggling to feed and house their pets.”
A big problem is pet homelessness. Valerie explains that one reason is that there are not enough homes for all the kittens born. In warmer climates like what we have in Ventura County, the breeding season for cats is lengthened, allowing for more kittens to be born in a single year. By humanely trapping stray feral cats and taking them to a spay clinic, cat overpopulation can be lessened, resulting in fewer cats in the shelters, and reducing the need for euthanasia. Dogs have more predictable mating seasons, which leads to a more predictable dog population. Valerie sums it up like this: “Spay an animal and save a life.”
Residents are encouraged to call SPAN to report the presence of wild or stray cats. Ideally, cats are humanely trapped, taken to a registered veterinary clinic, spayed or neutered, then returned to the animal’s home or location where they were originally found. SPAN can loan humane traps, and volunteers are available to help.
SPAN acknowledges that the task of managing the pet population takes a community effort. They work in concert with low-cost clinics in Ventura County and a few local veterinarians helping with the feral cat population. Last year alone, the SPAN thrift shop, through their funding and volunteerism, facilitated 763 spay/neuter operations. SPAN began operating in 1992 on a limited basis, growing over time to their current full capacity. Since then, they have facilitated over 33,500 such operations.
On Thursday, March 3, SPAN is sponsoring an on-site spay/neuter clinic in conjunction with Valley-Vet Non-Profit Simi Valley Spay and Neuter Clinic. The clinic will be held in the parking lot of the SPAN Thrift and Gift shop in Ventura beginning with appointments scheduled at 9 AM. Look for the large Winnebago, which holds a state-of-the-art operating room, staffed with professionals who care about the health and longevity of animals. The cost on this special occasion is $10 for qualified low-income residents. Appointments are required. To enroll, call 584-3823.
SPAN Thrift and Gift happily accepts donations in the form of clothing furniture, appliances, and other household items as well as tax-deductible cash donations. Drivers are available to pick up large donations.
SPAN is the only all-volunteer organization in Ventura County raising money to spay/neuter cats and dogs for low-and no-income pet owners. For information or appointments, call 641-1170 or stop by the SPAN Thrift and Gift shop at 110 N. Olive St. Ventura. Closed Sunday and Monday. Se habla español.
Insert photo of Valerie Bereman, SPAN Manager.
