Pallas Diaz aims to end pet overpopulation

Pallas Diaz and HuChi, the border collie mix she adopted from Collier County Domestic Animal Services. Pallas Diaz's dream of a low-cost spay and neuter clinic in Collier County is about to come true. The building on Immokalee Road east of the I-75 has freshly painted lobby walls and a back room filled to the ceiling with kennels that, as of Monday, Aug. 10, will hold cats and dogs awaiting or recovering from surgery.

Ms. Diaz became the driving force behind the new Collier Spay Neuter Clinic about 18 months ago, inspired after coming back from a short relocation in Shenandoah Valley, Va. In awe of the efficiency with which a clinic there treated a high volume of animals, Ms. Diaz thought Collier County could — and should — have a similar facility.

Back in Naples, she got to work on the fundraising and paperwork needed to found the nonprofit operation. In just over one year's time, she raised $137,000 and used that money and a PetSmart grant to move ahead with her plans.

"I saw the need, and it's pretty hard to avoid the need," Ms. Diaz says.

The Collier Spay Neuter Clinic, as well as the one that impressed Ms. Diaz in Virginia, is modeled after a clinic operated by the Humane Alliance of Western North Carolina in Asheville. The alliance hopes to aid in the eventual opening of 250 model clinics nationwide and end the country's overpopulation of cats and dogs.

The new clinic will neuter and spay cats for $40 and $50, respectively; dogs will be neutered for $65 and spayed for $75. The clinic also will arrange free transport service for pet owners who cannot get their animals to the clinic.

The clinic has five full-time employees. Ms. Diaz is the executive director; others on staff are a veterinarian, a veterinary technician and assistant, and an office manager. There's also one paid part-time employee and nearly 100 volunteers. Ms. Diaz says partnerships with both Collier County Domestic Animal Services and the Naples Humane Society are being formed, as well as with local veterinarians.

Ms. Diaz doesn't limit her scope of animal advocacy to Collier County. She and her husband, Efrain Diaz, have made numerous trips to Nicaragua over the past two years to advocate pet care and the protection of indigenous species. They've also created a nonprofit agency to aid their cause in Latin America, where they hope to build a wildlife rehabilitation center.

In Nicaragua, Ms. Diaz and her husband helped rehabilitate an infant howler monkey whose mother had been killed. The dehydrated baby was stuffed in a bamboo shoot. After nearly two years of rehabilitation, there were high hopes for a reintroduction to the wild. Mr. Diaz, who owns Pura Vida Productions and had documented the monkey's progress, was able to film its return to the wild.

Solving the problem of pet overpopu- lation, whether in Collier County or in Nicaragua or anywhere else, starts with educating owners about the importance of spaying and neutering their pets. Making the operation accessible and affordable for pet owners is also key, Ms. Diaz knows.

While she works toward opening day of the Collier Spay Neuter Clinic, her husband is developing an education outreach program for pet owners in Collier County and surrounding areas.

Originally from Baton Rouge, La., Ms. Diaz studied biology at Florida Atlantic University and has lived in Naples since 1984. She and her husband have two dogs, one of which is a rescue dog from a shelter. They also participate in a fostering program for pets; and she has volunteered for the Collier County Cat Coalition, a group working to reduce the population of feral cats and dogs through sterilization and trap/neuter/return programs.

While she's grateful for the community support and excitement that has swelled for the Collier Spay Neuter Clinic, Ms. Diaz says the clinic still needs basic supplies in order to be ready for opening day. Among the items needed for dogs and cats are: food, brushes and nail clippers, kitty litter and litter boxes, new or gently used bath towels, stuffed and rubber toys. General office supplies also are needed, including: clipboards, Post-it notes, scissors and Sharpies, clocks or watches with second hands, a step ladder and a medium-size fireproof safe. Cleaning supplies that will always come in handy include: buckets, brooms, 13- and 55-gallon garbage cans and bags, laundry baskets and laundry detergent.

The Collier Spay Neuter Clinic opens Monday, Aug. 10, at 2544 Northbrook Plaza Drive. For more information about donating items or to schedule an appointment, call 514-7647.