$27,500 Grant from PetSmart Charities® to Spay/Neuter Free-Roaming Cats

The Alabama Animal Alliance Spay/Neuter Clinic received a $27,500 grant from PetSmart Charities® to purchase humane traps, provide training, and surgically sterilize free-roaming cats to reduce the number of unwanted cats and kittens in our area. The Alabama Animal Alliance Spay/Neuter Clinic opened in October 2007 and has successfully altered more than 18,000 animals to proactively fight the area’s dire pet overpopulation problem.

These grant funds will enable the Spay/Neuter Clinic to surgically sterilize 500 free-roaming cats and kittens as part of an organized Trap-Neuter-Return program. Trap-Neuter-Return programs involve humanely trapping unsocialized, free-roaming cats. Once trapped, the cats can be brought to the Alabama Animal Alliance Spay/Neuter Clinic where they will be vaccinated against rabies and spayed or neutered to prevent them from breeding. During the surgery, the cats will also be ear-tipped to identify them as a sterilized free-roaming cat.  Ear-tipping is done by cropping the pointed end of the ear so that it has a square appearance. Following surgery the cats are returned to their natural environment where they remain to be cared for by their caretakers.

The Alabama Animal Alliance Spay/Neuter Clinic is Alabama's first high-quality, high volume, affordable spay/neuter clinic.  We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to reducing the number of unwanted animals by providing affordable spay/neuter surgeries for dogs and cats. The Spay/Neuter Clinic's veterinarians are Drs. Rebecca Davidson and Cathrine Byars; licensed veterinarians with more than 40 years of combined experience. For more information call 334-239-7387 or visit www.alabamaspayneuter.com.

Established in 1994, PetSmart Charities, Inc. is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that creates and supports programs that save the lives of homeless pets, raise awareness of companion animal welfare issues and promote healthy relationships between people and pets. The largest funder of animal-welfare efforts in North America, PetSmart Charities has provided $110 million in grants and programs benefiting animal-welfare organizations and, through its in-store adoption program, helped save the lives of more than 4 million pets.  To learn more about how PetSmart Charities is working toward its Vision of a lifelong, loving home for every pet, visit petsmartcharities.org or call 1-800-423-PETS.

JOIN US FOR FREE TRAP-NEUTER-RETURN (TNR) TRAINING

We will be holding a free training seminar for our TNR Program on Sunday, June 27, 2010. The training is being held in the Montgomery Humane Society Conference room from 2:00-3:30 p.m. All interested individuals are asked to RSVP by calling 334-239-PETS(7387)

BEAT THE HEAT!

Every spring female cats go into heat and they cycle in and out of heat every three to four weeks until they get pregnant.  What results is what we refer to as "Kitten Season".  With the average litter size being 5 kittens, and the possibility of one cat having 4 to 6 heat cycles a year, a person could easily have 30 unwanted kittens every year!  And that does not count the kittens that the kittens born from that one female cat will have.  In an effort to avoid the thousands of cats and kittens that are surrendered to our shelters every year, we are trying to "Beat the Heat" and get these females "fixed" before they go into heat.  Our advertisement in Montgomery Parents Magazine includes a $10 off coupon for female dogs and cats.  These coupons are valid until 6-30-10.

Spay Montgomery! Montgomery County, Alabama residents who meet one of the following criteria: 1) low-income as determined by grant guidelines, 2) full-time college student, or 3) Medicaid recipient with current Medicaid card may be eligible for a $10 spay or neuter surgery. You MUST be a Montgomery County resident to participate in this program. For more information about this EXCITING program call us today at 334-239-PETS (7387)! Individuals who are not Montgomery County residents or who do not qualify for our Spay Montgomery program are welcome to utlize the affordable services of our facility. Our surgery fees cover the cost of ovariohysterectomy (spay) and castration (neuter) surgeries, anethesia, and all surgery-related pain medications. Post-operative pain medication is also included. Male cat neuter surgeries are $40; female cat spay surgeries are $55; male dog neuter surgeries are $60; and female dog spay surgeries are $70. Dogs over 60 lbs in weight are an additional fee.

Our Veterinarian Team. The Spay/Neuter Clinic's veterinarians are Drs. Rebecca Davidson and Cathrine Byars. Drs. Davidson and Byars are licensed veterinarians with more than 40 years of combined experience. We do not utilize the services of volunteer veterinarians, veterinary school students or recent veterinary school graduates to perform spay or neuter surgical procedures.

The FIXIT Waggin' continues to serve the residents of Lee County. The FIXIT Waggin' meets at For Paws Boutique located at 1747 Ogletree Road in Auburn on designated Tuesdays. The FIXIT Waggin’ picks up the animals and transports them to our clinic in Montgomery. While at the clinic, the animals are "fixed". After recovery, the FIXIT Waggin' returns the pets back to For Paws Boutique that same evening. Our upcoming transport days include June 22, 2010, July 13, 2010, and August 10, 2010. Individuals interested in pre-registering and reserving their pet a place on the FIXIT Waggin’ need to call the Alabama Animal Alliance Spay/Neuter Clinic at 334-239-PETS (7387).

Spay It Forward. Today's economic conditions are taking a toll on everyone, pets included. If you are an individual who is fortunate enough to assist others who are less fortunate and can share the cost of having their beloved pets spayed or neutered, please consider donating to our Spay It Forward fund. This fund is designated solely for individuals who meet one of the following criteria: 1) low income, 2) full-time college student, or 3) Medicaid recipient with current Medicaid card.