The ASPCA recently achieved a significant milestone by completing 100,000 spay/neuter surgeries in Los Angeles. Our services provide free and low-cost spay/neuter services directly to underserved communities and pet families at the ASPCA South L.A. Spay and Neuter Clinic and on three mobile spay/neuter clinics serving L.A. County.
Accessible and affordable spay and neuter is an important part of creating a healthy community for cats and dogs, including decreasing the number of animals entering shelters and reducing community cat populations.
“It’s well-known that spay and neuter surgeries can significantly reduce shelter populations and intake, but the key to elevating that lifesaving impact is making those services accessible and affordable to pet owners and rescue organizations who desperately need them,” said Matt Bershadker, ASPCA CEO. “Reaching this 100,000-spay/neuter surgery milestone reflects the drive behind our commitment to helping vulnerable Los Angeles dogs and cats survive and thrive. We thank our friend and business leader Kathy Taggares for her incredible compassion and generosity in supporting this work over the years.”
Our L.A. Spay/Neuter Program has received significant support from Ms. Taggares, a generous donor to the ASPCA and longstanding spay and neuter advocate for animals in Los Angeles. Since 2007, Ms. Taggares has committed more than $7 million to the ASPCA.
“Given L.A.’s substantial dog and cat population, there is a continuous need for these vital services, and the ASPCA’s spay/neuter program has steadily grown over the years, specifically our mobile spay/neuter clinics, which brings our free services to pet owners in areas with the greatest need,” said Jennifer Anderson, Director of Operations for ASPCA Los Angeles Community Medicine. “This removes obstacles to accessing spay/neuter resources like affordability and lack of transportation.”
Another major component of our L.A. spay/neuter programs is its work with young kittens. Kittens under eight weeks old are one of the most vulnerable animal populations in L.A., requiring extensive support including foster care and spay/neuter services to help them become ready for adoption into loving homes. Through our L.A. Kitten Foster Program in L.A. County, we provided spay and neuter surgeries to more than 2,500 “pee-wee” kittens, ages four to eight weeks. Additionally, we provide spay and neuter support to animals at Los Angeles Animal Services and County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care & Control Animal Care Centers, which reduces animals’ time in shelters, enables quicker adoption placements, and allows shelters to help more animals.
In 2014, we announced a $25 million commitment to assist pets and pet owners in L.A., and since then, we’ve been providing hands-on work (including collaborating with local partners) to support animals through a variety of vital initiatives and programs—this includes supplying free and low-cost spay/neuter and basic veterinary care services, operating kitten foster and adoption programs that support municipal shelters, focused Trap-Neuter-Return and monitoring of community cats, and coordinating animal relocation support.
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