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February is Spay and Neuter Awareness Month
and cats provides pets and their families, as well as communities, with many benefits,” Julie Castle, CEO of Best Friends Animal Society, said. “These routine procedures may prevent medical and behavioral problems from developing, allowing pets to lead a longer, healthier and happier life.”
Spaying or neutering pets can help aid the shelter crisis. Valley News/ Courtesy photo
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KANAB, Utah – February is Spay and Neuter Awareness Month and Best Friends Animal Society, a leading animal welfare organization dedicated to ending the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shel-
Joe Naiman Writer
Kennedy/Jenks Consultants has been given the Eastern Municipal Water District contract for the preliminary design of the Soboba Sewer Project.
The EMWD board voted 4-0
Wednesday, Feb. 1, with Randy Record absent, to approve a $420,582 contract with Kennedy/ Jenks. The board also authorized EMWD general manager Joe Mouawad or his designee to execute any necessary consultant and supplier contracts, and the total authorized appropriation of $577,452 also includes environmental and potholing work along with EMWD engineering branch labor.
The Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians completed the construction of a new resort and casino in February 2019. Eastern and Soboba approved an agreement for sewer ters by 2025, is raising awareness on the simple solution communities can take that not only aids in lifesaving, but all around improves the animal’s well-being.
“Spaying and neutering dogs service to the first phase of the Soboba development. A February 2019 Riverside County Board of Supervisors action approved the sale of three county-owned parcels totaling 4.48 acres to Eastern, which will allow Eastern to construct a sewer line to the Soboba Hotel. Eastern may also use the land to develop groundwater resources through new infrastructure which conveys and recharges imported water for use and for water rights banking, and the district may also be able to build facilities to capture and recharge stormwater from the nearby Meridian Channel.
The timing of Soboba’s Phase 1 development project did not allow for the design and construction of a permanent solution to accommodate projected buildout flows for the tributary area, so Eastern and Soboba agreed that in the interim the tribe would replace the existing temporary lift station
Additional benefits of spaying and neutering pets include decreasing the number of accidental litters, reducing the risk of future medical problems and expenses including testicular cancer, uterine infections and ovarian and breast cancers, and improving territorial marking tendencies, yowling/howling, escaping and other troublesome behaviors. It can also lower the probability that pets will try to escape their home in search of a mate.
Spaying and neutering can greatly impact the number of dog bite incidents in a community. Most dog bites, 60–80%, are caused by intact male dogs. Pregnant or nursing female dogs are more likely to bite as well. Reducing your pet’s likelihood of biting or fighting may also help protect you from potential legal action. Spayed/neutered pets are less likely to engage in behaviors that could cause problems with neighbors. Spayed or neutered pets are often more relaxed, and even more affectionate, too. with a new temporary lift station sized to accommodate its Phase 1 development and existing tributary sewer flows only. Additional development by the Soboba Tribe, referred to as Phase 2, is projected to occur in the near future and will contribute additional wastewater flows to the existing interim sewer facilities. In addition to the Phase 2 development, Soboba is also considering septic-to-sewer conversion of Tribal lands with the possibility that the additional sewer flow would ultimately be collected by the existing sewer system and conveyed to Eastern for treatment. The Soboba Sewer Project is pursuing the necessary work required to define and implement a permanent sewer system solution between the existing Soboba II Lift Station and the gravity sewer on the south side of the San Jacinto River
Healthy puppies and kittens can be spayed as young as 2 months, or when they reach 2 pounds, and can be done in a veterinarian’s office.
The cost varies by community, but the one-time expense is much more cost-effective than taking care of multiple litters. Many communities also have free or low-cost spay/neuter for those who cannot afford the procedure. Contact your veterinarian or local animal shelter to find out what programs are available.
Having pets spayed or neutered can also help the shelter crisis. Across the country, shelters are struggling with higher intakes, while adoptions, fosters and rescues are not keeping pace. This has led to a population imbalance with more animals in shelters, causing an increased strain on shelter staff and the overall crisis. With most U.S. shelters at or over capacity, pets are more at risk for being killed due to lack of space.
“Spay/neuter directly affects the number of pets that lose their lives in the U.S. Having your pet spayed or neutered prevents additional animals from being born and frees up homes for those currently waiting at shelters. By taking this one action, you’ll be an important part of the movement to make America a no-kill country by 2025,” Castle said.
Submitted by Best Friends Animal Society.
On Feb. 8, EMWD issued a re- quest for proposals for preliminary d esign services for the Soboba Sewer Project. The original RFP requested evaluation of both a new regional lift station and a gravity solution to service the area. Two firms submitted proposals and a selection committee determined that Kennedy Jenks, which is based in San Francisco and has offices in San Diego and Murrieta, had the higher-ranked proposal.
EWMD staff subsequently recommended revising the requested sc ope of services to include an additional alternative evaluation which would focus on hardening the existing Soboba Hot Springs temporary lift station and modifying existing equipment to provide further capacity. A fee of $420,582 was negotiated to reflect the scope of services needed to complete preliminary design including the additional negotiated scope.
In late 2022 Soboba pursued a septic to sewer conversion feasibility study for residents on Tribal lands. The study had the potential to increase the ultimate flows delivered to EMWD infrastructure and therefore would impact piping and equipment sizing for the project. After the feasibility study was completed Soboba indicated the Tribe will be pursuing a septicto-sewer conversion project. The sewer line to the hotel will be coordinated with that conversion project.
Field investigations including environmental due diligence are expected to be performed in support of the design effort. Those activities will be performed by consultants on the district’s on-call list.
The preliminary design is expected to be complete in November 2023.
Joe Naiman can be reached by email at jnaiman@reedermedia. com.
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