2013: A Spay Odyssey
Free Spay/Neuter Services the Week of March 4th

 

 

Feb. 15, 2013: In honor of World Spay Day the Animal Shelter Alliance of Portland (ASAP) boldly sets out to alter 500 cats in one week. ASAP is offering 500 free spay/neuter surgeries the week of March 4 in five locations around the Portland/Vancouver metro area.

 

World Spay Day is an annual occurrence that aims to highlight spay/neuter as a proven means of ending pet overpopulation and is part of a global, united effort to end the euthanasia and suffering of companion animals.

Qualifying cat owners (see How to Qualify below) can have their unsterilized cats or kittens spayed or neutered for free during the week. Caretakers of stray or feral cats can take advantage of this offer as well. Surgeries are performed by licensed veterinarians and subsidized through charitable donations.

"In an average week, our program helps 200 cats. Adding more surgery slots than usual and offering the surgeries for free this week will help us reach even more cats during this crucial time of year," says Joyce Briggs, President of the Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs. "In wintertime, cats go into season, and many are pregnant by March. Preventing those kittens is the reason for this event. With nearly 22,000 cats entering our area shelters annually, we need to focus on finding good homes for them, without a flood of kittens this spring."

 

What: 500 free cat spay/neuter surgery appointments will be available the week of March 4–8.

 

How to Qualify: Cat owners must live in Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington, or Clark Counties AND receive government assistance, such as Medicaid, food stamps, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Section 8/Public housing, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Women, Infants and Children (WIC), Oregon Health Plan and Subsidized Lunch Program funding.

Where: Services provided by licensed veterinarians and caring surgical teams at the locations below. Transportation assistance may be available for those unable to take advantage of this offer because of travel issues.

Cat Adoption Team – Sherwood
Oregon Humane Society – NE Portland
Multnomah County Animal Services – Troutdale
Humane Society of SW Washington – Vancouver
Feral Cat Coalition – for strays or feral cats

 

How to Participate: Call 1-800-345-SPAY for a cat you own; or 503-797-2606 for feral cats. Free spay/neuter appointments will be scheduled for March 4–8 only. Visit the Spay & Save website for more details on clinic locations and how to qualify.

 

The free spay/neuter surgeries are being offered through the Animal Shelter Alliance of Portland’s Spay & Save program. ASAP is a coalition of the greater Portland area's leading animal welfare organizations and the veterinary community. The Spay & Save program aims to keep struggling families and their pets together and reduce the number of cats and kittens that are coming into our shelters every year—23,574 in 2010 alone. This vital program is funded through private donations as well as grant monies.