Free spay, neuter surgeries begin today in Santa Maria

By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

Santa Barbara Humane is now offering free feline spay and neuter surgeries, starting today at its campus at 1687 W.Stowell Road, Santa Maria.

The operations, which are made possible by a large donation from ResQCats, are by appointment only. To make an appointment, visit sbhumane.org/clinic or call 805964-4777, ext. 205

Santa Barbara Humane noted that spay and neuter surgeries are crucial to keeping the feline population under control. An unaltered female cat can give birth to as many as 180 kittens in her lifetime. Those kittens could become part of the 3.2 million cats that enter animal shelters each year, Santa Barbara Humane

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7:30 p.m. Cabrillo High School Performing Arts will present the musical “The Wizard of Oz” at 7:30 p.m. March 3, 4, 10 and 11 with an “Emerald City” matinee, in which the audience is encouraged to wear green, at 1 p.m. March 11. The performances will take place at the school’s Little Theater, 4350 Constellation Drive, Lompoc. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $10 for youths under 18. To purchase, visit www.gofan.co. MARCH 4 9 a.m. Santa Barbara Airport is partnering with Alaska Airlines and Atlantic Aviation to host local nonprofit Alpha Resource Center’s second annual Plane Pull fundraiser. Proceeds benefit the Alpha Resource Center. Registration is at 9 a.m., followed by the opening ceremonies at 9:30 a.m. and the first team pull at 9:45 a.m. For more information, go to alphasb. org/plane-pull or contact Jeff Henson at Alpha Resources Center, 805-683-2145 or jhenson@alphasb.org. 7:30 p.m. The State Street Ballet will perform “A Midsummer’s Night Dream” and other dances at 7:30 p.m. at The Granada, 1214 State St. Tickets cost $38 to $106. To noted.

For the millions of feral cats who don’t enter a shelter, life on the streets is fraught with dangers ranging from encounters with wildlife to communicable illnesses to the hazards of busy roadways.

Surgical sterilization is not only a safe and humane way to prevent unwanted litters. It also offers significant health benefits to cats. Spaying female cats helps prevent breast and uterine cancer, and neutering male cats helps prevent testicular cancer. Studies have found that spayed female cats live 39% longer than intact female cats, while neutered male cats live 62% longer than intact male cats.

Dr. Katie Marrie, Santa Barbara Humane’s chief veterinary officer, says that surgical sterilization can also help address some common purchase, go to granadasb.org or call the box office at 805-899-2222.

7:30 p.m. The Santa Barbara City College Theatre Group will perform Ken Ludwig’s “A Comedy of Tenors” at the Garvin Theatre on the college’s west campus in the 900 block of Cliff Drive in Santa Barbara. Tickets range from $18 to $26 for general admission, with discounts for students, seniors and SBCC staff. To purchase, go to www. theatregroupsbcc.com or by calling the Garvin Box Office at 805-965-5935.

7:30 p.m. Cabrillo High School

Performing Arts will present the musical “The Wizard of Oz” at 7:30 p.m. March 3, 4, 10 and 11 with an “Emerald City” matinee, in which the audience is encouraged to wear green, at 1 p.m. March 11. The performances will take place at the school’s Little Theater, 4350 Constellation Drive, Lompoc. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $10 for youths under 18. To purchase, visit www.gofan.co.

MARCH 7 7 p.m. “Four Winters,” a documentary about resistance fighters during World War II, screens at Paseo Nuevo Cinemas on lower State Street in Santa Barbara. A Q & A will follow.

MARCH 16

5:30 p.m. Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi — feline behavioral problems.

“In male cats, surgical sterilization helps decrease aggressive behavior and can help prevent certain unwanted behaviors like spraying, fighting, and roaming in search of a mate.” Dr. Marrie also noted that for female cats, spay surgeries can make a difference that the whole neighborhood can appreciate. “Anyone who has been around female cats that are in heat can attest to how noisy they can be. Spaying your cat can prevent a whole lot of yowling!”

In 2022, Santa Barbara Humane provided 5,762 spay/neuter surgeries to cats, dogs and rabbits in Santa Barbara County. The surgeries typically cost $100 for female cats and $80 for male cats. email: dmason@newspress.com

Lewis Atterbury Stimson professor and chairman in the Department of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical Center and surgeonin-chief at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center — will present a public lecture titled “In the Eye of the Storm: Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic.” The free talk will take place at the Wolf Education and Training Center, 529 W. Junipero St., adjacent to RidleyTree Cancer Center in Santa Barbara. Reservations are required by March 10. To attend, contact J.V. Vallejos at 805-681-7528 or jvallejo@sansumclinic.org.

MARCH 18

7:30 p.m. The Santa Barbara Symphony will perform “John Williams: A Cinematic Celebration” at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. To purchase tickets, go to granadasb.org. For more information, visit www.thesymphony.org or call 805-8989386.

MARCH 19 3 p.m. The Santa Barbara Symphony will perform John Williams: A Cinematic Celebration” at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. To purchase tickets, go to granadasb.org. For more information, visit www.thesymphony.org or call 805-8989386.

— Dave Mason

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