2014: A Spay Odyssey 500 Cats to be Altered In One Week to Help Low-Income Residents
Portland, OR: In honor of World Spay Day on February 23, and to prevent unwanted litters of kittens from being born this spring, the Animal Shelter Alliance of Portland (ASAP) offers 500 free spay/neuter surgeries for one week in February in five locations around the Portland/Vancouver metro area.
World Spay Day is an annual event 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 can have their unsterilized cats or kittens spayed or neutered for free during February 24 - 28. 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, the Spay & Save 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, and a volunteer with the ASAP Spay & Save Program. "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. There are not enough homes for all of them."
What: Over 500 free cat spay/neuter surgery spots will be available the week of February 24 - 28.
How to Qualify: Qualified 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 February 24 - 28, 2014 only.
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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 is working to reduce the number of cats and kittens that are coming into our shelters every year-over 17,000 in 2012 alone. This vital program is funded through private donations as well as grant monies. Special thanks to PetSmart CharitiesR for their grant support. See www.spaysave.org<http://www.spaysave.org> for details about qualifying for an appointment, addresses of surgery locations and more. In the past 6 years, ASAP has reduced euthanasia in Portland's shelters by 65% and now saves 85% of cats and dogs - making our community one of the safest for pets in the nation!