Need to get your dog spayed or neutered, but can't afford it? Getting your dog spayed or neutered is an important responsibility of pet ownership, and alleviates a great deal of suffering caused by the pet overpopulation. 9.6 million unwanted animals are killed in the US, each and every year, because there are not enough people to adopt them. Many regular veterinarians charge several hundred dollars, which makes low cost spay and neutering programs a great option.
A recent experience I had with a low cost spay and neuter clinic, was prompted by the capture of a feral cat. This cat kept hanging around my house, every time looking worse with injuries, and hearing a neighbor threaten to poison him. After catching him, I called my regular veterinarian who advised me the cost to neuter would be about $250. I love animals, but CoCo the Blogging Dog isn't rich. I have an excellent veterinarian, and I will remain a faithful client for the more serious stuff, but $250 for a cat neuter?
So I start Googling low cost spay and neuter and found a great one in my area to take Mr. Stray kitty to. I called and they were very nice, and told me that considering he is a feral cat, they would allow me to take him in the very next morning. They said they don't make appointments, and just advised me not to feed him after midnight and make sure to have him there G-d awful early the next morning. I arrived there in a room full of about 25 other families bringing their animals in for the surgery. They have you fill out a form, and give you the option of taking home pain killer, and ask if you would like to get your animal vaccinated as well. The neuter was about $25, then with the extras I chose, the grand total was about $45, which is a far cry from the $250 at my regular veterinarian. You just leave your cat or dog there, then come back about 4 pm to pick up. For these prices you do not have to be low income. However, if you are, they are programs to get free spay and neuter vouchers for low income.
Which leads me to the most important part of this post, where to find the low cost spay and neuter clinics. A great resource is Spay USA, no matter where you live in the USA, they will find a low cost spay and neuter program in your area. If it is not already printed on their website, you can email them, and they will email you back and let you know where to go for spaying and neutering. On Love That Cat, they have a list of every state in the USA, just click on your state to find low cost spay and neuter programs. If you would rather go to a regular veterinarian, Friends of Animals has reduced cost spay and neuter certificates you can purchase to use at all participating veterinarians. On same page at Friends of Animals, it allows you to input your email and zip code, and they will email you back with a listing of all participating veterinarians in your area.
