The Humane Society of Ocean City (HSOC) has learned that Senate Bill No. 297 (S-297) will be withdrawn by Senator Joseph Vitale. The bill would have severely limited the services that nonprofit veterinary centers could offer, including providing spay/neuter procedures on animals at the shelter and feral cats.
The latter service is critical to preventing an overpopulation of feral cats in Ocean City and surrounding communities.
“We’re very pleased to learn that this bill is being withdrawn,” said William Hollingworth, HSOC Executive Director. “We felt it would have only created problems in providing needed veterinary care to the animals we serve.”
HSOC operates The Woody Johnson Veterinary Center, a full-service, state-of-the-art veterinary center to provide services to shelter animals as well as offering affordable care for pet owners in Ocean City and surrounding communities. Included in those services are spay/neuter procedures on over 300 feral cats annually as well as providing needed veterinary care for shelter animals waiting to be adopted.
HSOC is a private, nonprofit “no-kill” adoption center that includes the Veterinary Center, offering affordable veterinary services and spay/neuter clinics to residents of Ocean City and surrounding communities. HSOC has been serving the community for over 50 years with pet adoption, veterinary care, and animal control services.
— News release from A. Deiterich for the Humane Society of Ocean City
