In June, we posted an analysis of spay/neuter procedures at the Seattle Animal Shelter. We used data provided by the City of Seattle via public disclosure requests. One of the most striking trends was the steep decrease in public spay/neuter procedures for rabbits. In 2016, there was a high of almost 300 public procedures while there were only 24 in 2023 (see graph below). We reached out to the City of Seattle and asked why this was occurring and what the projection was for the future.
According to Melissa Mixon, Communications and Marketing Director for the Department of Finance and Administrative Services (of which the Seattle Animal Shelter is a division), SAS recognizes the decrease in rabbit services. She responded with the following:
That’s right, we did see a drop in rabbit spay/neuter surgeries in 2020. Part of that drop is due to the fact that we referred out some of those surgeries to outside clinics while we were closed and also so that we could prioritize dog and cat surgeries once we reopened.
We continue to adjust our surgery schedule as needed to accommodate as many dogs, cats, and rabbits as we can while still maintaining safe, high-quality care. We try to keep rabbits on their own surgery day, as they are very sensitive animals and easily stressed by loud, barking dogs. Generally, this means that we can do fewer rabbit surgeries, but find that they have a smoother recovery and less stress in the clinic.
We thank the City and Ms. Mixon for their response and will be requesting data for the 2024 year to see if the situation improves. Rabbits typically compose the third largest number of companion animals at the Seattle Animal Shelter, behind dogs and cats. This most likely reflects their prevalence in homes as well.