The Pasadena Humane Society has received a $37,500 grant from PetSmart Charities, the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, to subsidize the cost of spay or neuter surgery for 500 free-roaming cats.
The organization currently provides free spay/neuter for feral cats within its eleven animal control contract cities, as well as free trap rentals for cats through its public wellness clinic on Raymond Avenue in Pasadena.
Feral, free-roaming, and community cats are domestic cats that often live in outdoor colonies with limited human interaction. Many cat colonies have caretakers who provide the feline residents with regular food, water, and medical care including spay/neuter surgery. Sterilizing stabilizes the colony population by preventing breeding and reduces nuisance behaviors such as spraying, yowling, roaming and fighting.
Spaying and neutering is one of the most effective ways to reduce the homeless animal population. Female cats average as many as three litter per year with four to six kittens per litter. They may have their first heat cycle as young as four months old. The Pasadena Humane Society spays and neuters kittens as young as eight to ten weeks old at its low-cost public wellness clinic.
The sterilization process for feral cats is commonly referred to as trap-neuter-return (TNR). Members of the community humanely trap feral cats, have them sterilized at a spay/neuter clinic, and then return the cats to their original location. While under anesthesia feral cats are also vaccinated and ear-tipped (a small part of the cat’s left ear is removed to indicate sterilization).
“We are grateful to PetSmart Charities for this grant,” says Julie Bank, President/CEO of the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA. “Spaying and neutering 500 free-roaming cats will prevent hundreds of unwanted litters and greatly decrease the number of feral cats and kittens coming into the shelter for years to come.”
“At PetSmart Charities, we are committed to ending pet homelessness and one of the best ways we can do this is by granting funds to local animal welfare organizations like the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA to help them take a proactive approach to preventing unplanned litters,” said Jenny Aho, regional relationship manager at PetSmart Charities. “We are honored to support them in this effort and look forward to seeing the results of their hard work in the community.”
Spay and neuter appointments are available for owned pets and free-roaming cats five days a week at the organization’s wellness clinic. The program for feral cats includes the spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations (FVRCP and rabies) and ear-tipping at no cost for residents our eleven animal control contract cities (Altadena, Arcadia, Bradbury, Glendale, La Cañada, La Crescenta, Pasadena, Monrovia, San Marino, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena) or for $30 for residents outside of our service area. Thirty day free rentals for cat traps are available by appointment and with an $80 deposit. Additional services, such as FeLV/FIV testing, flea treatment and microchipping, are available for an additional cost. To make an appointment, email [email protected] or call (626) 792-7151 ext. 166.
About the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA
The Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA is a donor-supported, non-profit organization that provides animal care and services for homeless and owned animals in the Greater Los Angeles Area. The organization is dedicated to promoting humane treatment and compassionate care for all animals. The animals in its care come from 11 animal control contract cities, as well as partner shelters across the Los Angeles area and beyond. The Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA also offers lifesaving programs and services to the community that support the human-animal bond and keep pets in homes. To learn more, visit pasadenahumane.org.
About PetSmart Charities®
PetSmart Charities, Inc. is a nonprofit animal welfare organization that saves the lives of homeless pets. Each year nearly 500,000 dogs and cats find homes through our adoption program in all PetSmart® stores across the U.S. and sponsored adoption events. Each year millions of PetSmart shoppers contribute to PetSmart Charities to help pets in need by making donations on a pin pad at the register. PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 90 cents of every dollar to support its mission of finding lifelong, loving homes for all pets. PetSmart Charities grants more money to directly help pets in need than any other animal welfare group in North America, with a focus on funding adoption and spay/neuter programs that help communities solve pet overpopulation. PetSmart Charities is a 501(c)(3) organization, independent from PetSmart, Inc. PetSmart Charities has received the Four Star Rating for the past 13 years from Charity Navigator, an independent nonprofit that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization. https://www.petsmartcharities.org/
