The important guidelines for a spay and neuter program are:

• Provide access to affordable surgeries to a population that could not otherwise afford to sterilize their animal
• Target one area that has animal overpopulation problems to provide sterilizations
• Sterilize at least 70% of the selected population within one breeding cycle to stabilize that population
• Sterilize the same population further to achieve a decline in that population while starting to sterilize at least 70% of the next targeted area to stabilize that population

How It Works:
In the 1200s Leonardo Fibonacci created a formula (70%) that is still used by many scientists, including the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control. It states that 70% of a population must be vaccinated in order to prevent an epidemic of a contagious disease. In a "companion animal" overpopulation article, Dr. Marvin Mackie proposes that “animal sterilization is ‘vaccinating&rsquo against the disease of overpopulation.” With the remaining 30% of the population, births occur at a rate only great enough to replace normal attrition. Much like interest compounding on dollars in savings, animal overpopulation grows exponentially in relation to the unsterilized population (1 male and female cat and their offspring can produce 420,000 cats in 7 years; 1 male and female dog and offspring can produce 67,000 dogs in 6 years).

To reach the 70% solution, the ASNTF must be able to hold grass roots, large volume, high quality spay/neuter events in First Nation communities. We would provide licensed veterinarians and Animal Health Technicians and the surgery equipment to do so. The events, in themselves, are educational because they include the community members and are held in a gymnasium or any other facility the community can provide.