Portland, February 15th, 2013. In honor of World Spay Day on February 26, 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 the week of March 4 in five locations around the Portland/Vancouver metro area. (The photo is a cat named Gunter getting a hug at the Oregon Humane Society) 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 March 4-8. 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 March 4-8.
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 March 4 – March 8, 2013 only.
