SUQUAMISH — The Price Is Right’s Bob Barker would be proud of the owners of more than 100 local cats and dogs who had their pets “fixed” this week.

As the legendary host often ends his famous game show by asking the nation to help control the pet population and “have your pet spayed or neutered,” residents of the North End did just that.

The Suquamish Tribe hosted 38 veterinarians, veterinarian students and technicians from The Humane Society of the United States Rural Area Veterinary Services (RAVS) May 18 and 19. The team provided free spay and neutering services and vaccinations during its two-day clinic at the tribal center.

RAVS provides veterinary care in remote areas of America, such as Appalachia and Native American reservations where vet services may not be as accessible or are too expensive for the residents.

However, Suquamish is not as rural as other places the teams visit.

“This is about as city as we get,” said team leader and head veterinarian Susan Monger with a laugh.

Team members# also teach pet owners how to properly care for their domesticated animals and how such care can benefit both humans and animals.

Having regular vaccinations and being spayed or neutered helps moderate the pet population, increase the health of the animal and control any aggressive behaviors.

Monger said she was impressed with the area’s animals.

“Everyone on the reservation takes care of their animal,” she said.

The team performed 90 surgeries and provided 70 vaccines in the make-shift hospital located in the tribal gym on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The tribe has been working to bring such services to the reservation for a long time without success, said tribal grant development manager Robin Sigo.

However, in January 2003, a staff grant writer discovered the RAVS program and requested that Suquamish be fitted into the schedule. After a 10-month waiting period, the clinic finally showed up.

Sigo said the biggest problem the reservation faces with pet care, particularly spay and neutering, is financial.

“Primarily in Kitsap, it’s really the cost,” she said. “It seems to be over $100 everywhere. It’s a service that people really want but they just can’t afford it.”

Another reason it was important to bring this service to the reservation was for safety and health reasons.

“It’s a public safety issue, too, with dogs running around and they keep having puppies,” she said.

She noted that the event supported the tribe’s effort to provide services on the reservation for its members.

“I think it’s nice when tribal members can come down and access services to the reservation,” she said. “Even though we are in close proximity to Poulsbo and Silverdale, it’s just nice when it’s on the reservation.”

It was also a community effort, as the tribe, Bella Luna Pizzeria, Clearwater Casino and the Kitsap County Humane Society provided oxygen for the surgeries, food, supplies and a place to stay for the team. A veterinarian from Bangor even donated medicine for the rabies shots, Sigo added.

“It was really nice how the community really pulled together to help,” she said.

“We were able to pull from the local community to provide these services.”