A new initiative to tackle Guam’s stray animal overpopulation is officially launched.  The SNIP Tag/Tip Program provides free spay and neuter services for community dogs and cats. 

Across Guam, free roaming dogs and cats are a growing concern. While some are cared for by multiple households, they’re not considered ‘owned,’ leaving them vulnerable and often contributing to the overpopulation problem. Now, a partnership between the Guam Department of Agriculture’s Division of Animal Health and the Spay and Neuter Island Pets (SNIP) clinic is offering a solution. 

Territorial veterinarian Dr. Mariana Turner explained, saying, "The idea is that people can bring in these community animals, get their spay and neuter surgery, their dog or cat vaccine, a microchip, a rabies vaccine if they’re old enough, get either an ear tag for the dogs and an ear tip for the cats– and that’s for the really easy visual way to see that they’ve already been sterilized."

The new SNIP Tag/Tip Program provides a full-service package that includes spay or neuter surgery, vaccinations, and microchipping for community animals. Dr. Turner shares some have already taken advantage of the new initiative. She says it's a donation-based program, with contributions encouraged to help sustain the program, which is currently being funded out of the island's only animal shelter's budget. 

"It is by donations, so donations are not required but we are asking for a donation between $50 to $100 for those that can’t afford it," she explained. "Because any money that comes in through those donations are just going to go back into the SNIP Tag/Tip Program to keep that going."

This initiative comes in response to a recent survey revealing that despite growing responsible pet ownership, Guam is still home to over 8,300 free-roaming dogs, with many unsterilized. 

"One of the other recommendations out of that report from the Humane World for Animals from that survey was that in order to start seeing a decrease in the free roaming population, we need to do 4,000 surgeries a year, for the next ten years, to hit the magic 85 percent sterilization rate– which then decreases the population," she said.

She says 2,000 additional surgeries are needed to bridge that gap, which can't be done by the SNIP clinic or private vets alone. It's why the SNIP Tag/Tip Program is crucial to address this with a compassionate, high-volume sterilization approach for a safer community.

She said, "The goal is to get a handle on this free roaming dog and cat population issue so that it’s safe for everybody, not only the people but also people’s indoor pets. What we’d like to see is an island where people can go out and walk, where children can walk and not be afraid to be bitten by a dog– that’s the goal here. We really want to create a more harmonious community here on Guam."

A community lending program for traps and cages is also in the works to assist with safe animal handling.

In the meantime, Dr. Turner adds while the snip clinic goes mobile in different villages as needed to increase access, normal operations are at the Guam Animals in Need shelter in Yigo.  To schedule an appointment or learn more about the SNIP Tag/Tip Program, you can visit their website at snipclinicguam.com or call 671-988-8421.