[RP TownTalk] Tuesday, April 5, Alley Cat Rescue, An Alliance for Cat Protection, will launch a new monthly low-cost spay/neuter program for cats

[Jason]

On Tuesday, April 5, Alley Cat Rescue, An Alliance for Cat Protection, will launch a new monthly low-cost spay/neuter program, the Cheap Fix Cat Clinic. The new program’s goal is to help reduce the intake, overcrowding, and euthanasia of healthy, adoptable cats and kittens in shelters.

Springtime marks the beginning of “kitten season” for many shelters and rescuers. Kittens born mostly to free-roaming community cats fill shelters to capacity and stretch their resources to the breaking point. Most shelters do not have the capacity to care for very young kittens, who need specialized, often around-the-clock care for extended periods of time. As a result, many kittens are euthanized simply to make room for the new cats and kittens entering shelters on a daily basis.

Alley Cat Rescue President Louise Holton says, “The key to our success in reducing shelter overcrowding and euthanasia is to stop cats, especially the youngest kittens, from entering a shelter in the first place. We know that cost is often a barrier to citizens seeking spay/neuter services for outdoor and ‘owned’ cats; the Cheap Fix Cat Clinic removes this barrier by making services affordable and convenient for community members and animal rescuers.”

The clinic takes place on the first Tuesday of each month and is open to residents of Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC. Services include spay/neuter surgery, rabies and distemper vaccines, treatment for parasites, and a micro-chip, and free-roaming community cats are ear-tipped as well. The cost is $20 for community cats and $50 for “owned” cats.

The Humane Society of the United States estimates that only 2% of free-roaming cats are sterilized, and that 80% of kittens entering shelters are born to these outdoor cats. “Sterilization is important for all cats, but especially community cats as they are responsible for so many of the kittens in our shelters,” says Holton. “The Cheap Fix Cat Clinic empowers people to take action and do good in their communities by providing these important medical services at an affordable cost on a regular basis.”

ACR is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare of all cats: domestic, stray, abandoned, and feral. We run a no-kill shelter and advocate TNR programs for feral cats. ACR has been awarded the Independent Charities of Americas “Best in America” Seal of Approval, and our newsletter has won several awards from the Cat Writers’ Association. For more information, please visit our website www.saveacat.org

301-277-5595

http://www.alexandrianews.org/2016/03/alley-cat-rescue-has-a-cheap-fix-for-kitten-season/

Jason
301-943-3017
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