Humane Society Offers ‘Primp Your Pit’ Campaign

The Hawai`i Island Humane Society has announced a special program aimed at owners of pit bull terriers.

The “Primp Your Pit” campaign offers a discounted rate of $20 in August for sterilization of pit bull or pit bull terrier mixes.

The offer includes a nail trim and is limited to the first 100 takers.

To take part in the program, callers must mention “Primp Your Pit” when booking an appointment, which can be made by calling the Kea`au Spay Neuter Hotline at 987-7208 or the Kona shelter at 329-1175. Information is also available at www.HIHS.org.

The Hawai`i Island Humane Society also offers coupons which provides discounted spay or neuter procedures at participating veterinarians.

According to the HIHS website, the average cost for a sterilization procedure at a veterinarian can range from $73 for a male cat to $180 for a female dog. The coupons, which are limited to two per household per year, reduce the costs to $30 and $95, respectively.

The Primp Your Pit offer is part of a nationwide campaign organized by PetSmart Charities. According to the group’s website, the campaign is part of a $1 million effort by the organization to save the lives of cats and pit bull terriers, the animals it says have the highest risk of being euthanized due to overcrowding in shelters.

The HIHS took part in the charity’s “Beat the Heat” campaign for cats in February, providing discounted spaying procedures for 50 female felines.

The PetSmart Charities campaign is aimed at 65 non-profit spay and neuter clinics across the nation.

The organization has provided more than $26 million in grants in the past five years to subsidize nearly 1 million spay/neuter surgeries in the US.