It’s another weekday morning at Bakersfield’s Critters Without Litters, and by 7:30 a.m. pet owners with dogs on leashes and cats in carriers are lining up outside for their pet’s appointment.

It’s time to get Fido fixed and Snowball spayed, and for a number of reasons, the coronavirus pandemic has significantly increased the demand — and the wait time — for those services.

The nonprofit clinic spays and neuters pets at reduced prices, and that’s surely one of its major draws. As more local residents tightened budgets this year due to lost jobs or reduced hours, some are certainly looking for affordable pet services.

And many of those pet owners are willing to wait more than two months for an appointment, some longer.

Before the pandemic, the agency used to check in 60 to 65 animals a day for spay-neuter services. Now it’s 100 to 120 animals, the staff says.

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