February 2025

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This month’s focus is Spay and Neuter, which is key for helping curb the overpopulation of dogs.

We could not do our work without the support of our amazing community. Please consider supporting our work through donating to our life-saving programming.

Book Release!

Excerpt from the book:
Who Will Let the Dogs Out: Stories and Solutions for Shelters and Rescues

Until we’ve tackled the challenge of spay and neuter access and affordability, we will always be “chasing our tails.” Here are three ideas for facing down that challenge:

Certify Vet Techs to Perform Spay/Neuter Surgeries

Spay/neuter surgeries are relatively simple. Huck, the director of Rockingham-Harrisonburg SPCA, joked, “I could probably do a cat neuter myself; I’ve watched so many.” There is a chronic shortage of surgery slots. And, really, what veterinarian wants to spend five days a week doing spay and neuter surgeries? Not many. But if vet techs could be trained and certified to perform the surgeries (under the supervision of a veterinarian), we might be able to expand services where it is needed most.

As Robin, an advocate in Tennessee who is also a physician pointed out that, much like Physician’s Assistants relieve the load for doctors in their practice, a vet tech certified to do spay and neuter surgeries could provide that kind of relief at a busy clinic. It could also massively increase the number of animals spayed and neutered each year.

Veterinary Clinic at the Shelter

Access to veterinary care is critical, and too often challenging. We’ve met several shelters that have or are in the process of building a veterinary clinic on their grounds. The shelter provides the space and supplies for veterinary care and surgery and pays the veterinarian (most work part-time or are retired vets). This allows them to set the prices for community veterinary work. Setting those prices just enough over costs to cover the shelter animals’ vet work, the shelter can still offer reasonably priced veterinary care to their community.

Remove the Financial Barrier

If we’re serious about tackling the challenge of spay/neuter, we need to remove the financial barrier. We also need to make it easy to get the money. What if instead of requiring shelters and rescues to fill out extensive applications, provide years of records, and write up protocols, plans, and reports and submit them during set “application windows,” the big organizations providing spay/neuter grants just said, “Send us your receipts”?

Eliminating the overhead of processing so many grant applications would save money and time, and the organization would have a far wider impact. Veterinarians wouldn’t have to worry about whether the shelter would pay their bills. They could simply hand out information on how to get reimbursed.

The rising numbers of animals coming into our shelters are driven in large part by the rising number of unwanted litters being born to stray dogs and owned dogs whose humans couldn’t afford or couldn’t find access to veterinarians. It’s also driven by shelters that also struggle to find veterinary access/affordability who adopt out animals unspayed/unneutered. My guess is that if we tried these three strategies, or even just one of them, it wouldn’t take long before we could turn that tide.

You’ll find more information on these ideas and many more in our new book, Who Will Let the Dogs Out: Stories and Solutions for Shelters and Rescues. Click here to get your copy. (It’s free to shelters and rescues.)

Promote Spay and Neuter - Ideas from our Resource Guide

Spaying and neutering helps combat pet overpopulation while relieving pressure on overcrowded shelters and rescues. Here are some ideas from the WWLDO Resource Guide on how to encourage spaying and neutering:

Dispel myths
Education plays an important role in dispelling myths and encouraging responsible pet ownership. One way to do this? Post a Q&A on social media seeking honest feedback from pet owners who opt not to have their pets fixed. Any myths surrounding spaying and neutering that arise in the responses can be addressed in follow-up posts.
List low-cost spay/neuter options
Many pet owners avoid having their pets spayed or neutered for financial reasons. Shelters can play an important role by providing information on where the public can access low-cost spay and neuter programs. This can be done in the form of handouts or by posting a list on the shelter’s website. For a roundup of low-cost spay/neuter and veterinary services, visit the General Resources & Programs section of the WWLDO Resource Guide.
Get creative when promoting spaying and neutering
Animal Harbor’s Fix Your Ex For Valentine’s Day campaign went viral when it was launched in advance of Valentine’s Day. The campaign uses humor to raise awareness about the serious issue of animal overpopulation. Members of the public were invited to donate $50 in return for having a feral cat named after their ex who would then be spayed or neutered through the shelter’s TNR program. Posting clever attention-grabbing graphics with a link to local low-cost spay/neuter clinics can be another effective way to promote spaying and neutering.
Encourage the purchase of animal-friendly license plates
Many states support spaying and neutering through the sale of specialty license plates. For example, the sale of animal-friendly plates in Tennessee helps fund grants to government-run shelters or 501(c)(3) rescues that provide low-cost spay and neuter services. Grant awards are based on the number of animals the organization serves and how many counties are reached. Shelters and organizations that serve distressed counties are prioritized.

In Kentucky, “Spay or Neuter Your Pets” license plates were adopted to raise awareness of the need to reduce the population of homeless animals in the state. The Kentucky Animal Control Advisory Board oversees the distribution of funds earned through the sale of these plates. “One hundred percent of the funds are awarded annually as grants to Kentucky animal shelters and non-profit groups for spay-neuter programs,” according to the board’s web site.

Grant Opportunities

Petco Love has historically kicked off its 2025 grant cycle with a grant opportunity focused on spay/neuter programs. Applications are being accepted between April 1 and April 30. If your organization meets the eligibility requirements, these grants can support spay/neuter clinics. Visit https://petcolove.org/shelter-partners/grants/.

Bissell Pet Foundation leads a major initiative focused on spay/neuter called Fix the Future which strives to break the barriers to affordable and accessible spay/neuter services. Through this program, Bissell Pet Foundation pays contracted veterinarians directly and connects them with approved host organizations (like animal shelters that provide spay/neuter services). If your shelter is interested, check if you're eligible to be a host organization. Here’s a link for more information:
https://www.bissellpetfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2024_Fix-the-Future_HostChecklist_V3.pdf

Volunteer Spotlight

WWLDO loves its volunteers, as they make it possible for us to raise awareness and resources. Meet one of our Shelter Liaisons, Jessica Ege.

How long have you been volunteering with WWLDO and why did you decide to volunteer?

I’ve been volunteering as a Shelter Liaison since late December. I’d been looking for a way to volunteer with shelters virtually, as my cat prefers I don't come home smelling like other cats and I'm not emotionally ready to work with dogs in person yet after losing my 17-year-old dog last year.

What does your position as Shelter Liaison entail?

I watch social media posts of several shelters, and when there’s something I think is interesting and might help other shelters, I share it with the group. Sometimes it's just something fun like the shelter that was getting the word out about a few loose cows in their area.

What do you like to do when you’re not volunteering?

I'm gardening (planning right now), crocheting and attempting to stay on top of home repair projects. I also play with my 12-year-old cat, Spyder Cat, by setting up a variety of agility courses to challenge him. We are currently working on me "sending" him to the tunnel and jumps and doing a few Rally Obedience games. It's very different doing these games with a cat than it was with my dogs!

Shelter Tour

We will be headed out on February 24 for a 12 day shelter tour visiting 13 shelters and rescues in Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. You can follow along as we post daily updates, live videos, pictures, and reports on Facebook and Instagram. Look for a recap on the blog after we are back. While we are on tour, we'll have our first book event in Cheatham County, Tennessee, on Tuesday, February 25.