released 12/7/04

No More Homeless Pets Wins Grant for Free Sterilization of Pet Cats in Low-Income Families

Alachua County cat lovers are fortunate to have a large selection of programs available for subsidized spay and neuter for their feline friends. The enthusiastic support of the local veterinary community has put us on the path to a future where no cat is ever put to sleep because there are not enough homes.

No More Homeless Pets, Inc. (NMHP) is a community coalition focusing primarily on increasing sterilization of pets in Alachua County. Alachua County has one of the highest euthanasia rates in the country. The cause is multifactorial, but is likely due in large part to the high poverty rate in the county. For this reason, NMHP focuses its efforts on strategies to increase neutering of pets belonging to low-income pet owners. The target population is low-income residents of Alachua County, Florida. According to the US Census Bureau, the 223,578 residents of this rural Southern community include 23% of families living below the federal poverty limit.

A unique strength is that NMHP utilizes the power of a community-wide coalition that includes veterinarians, rescue groups, animal control, and governmental assistance programs. The coalition has developed an ambitious five-year plan to end the euthanasia of healthy adoptable animals all together. Progress toward the No-Kill goal has been excellent. Despite the continued growth of the human population in the county, euthanasias of dogs and cats at the county shelter have decreased by 36% in the past 10 years from 9,415 in 1994 to 6066 in 2003. However, the life-saving effect has not been equally distributed. Even with a thriving feral cat sterilization program, Operation Catnip, euthanasia of dogs has fallen faster than euthanasia of cats. Dog euthanasia has decreased by 45% to 2644 whereas euthanasia of cats has decreased by only 26% to 3422. The continued imbalance between cat reproduction and availability of homes for cats leads to the euthanasia of 69% of all cats that enter the shelter (compared to only 51% of all dogs).

NMHP operates a spay and neuter voucher program in which vouchers are redeemable for sterilization surgery of cats and dogs at 22 of the 26 local veterinary clinics. Vouchers are accepted as payment in full for anesthesia and sterilization surgery, regardless of the size, sex, and reproductive condition of the cats. Local veterinarians, who are enthusiastic leaders in the NMHP coalition, perform these surgeries at fees which are markedly below the current market value. The cost of the voucher is $35 for each cat and $50 for each dog. Using funds from donations and grants, NMHP purchases the vouchers and then issues them to qualifying low-income families for free. Qualification for free sterilization includes family participation in any local, state, or federal needs-based financial assistance program, including Medicare, food stamps, school lunch, housing subsidy, etc.

NMHP recently landed a large grant to increase the number of free cat sterilization vouchers available for low-income families. Safe Steps Home, a project of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Fresh Step litter, selected NMHP from a large field of other worthy animal welfare organizations for a $15,000 grant that will fund 428 cat spays and neuters. Big PURRS to all for helping these neediest of cat lovers provide for their beloved pets. More information about these programs is available at www.aspca.org and www.freshstep.com.

Free vouchers for low-income families can be obtained from the Alachua County Humane Society (ACHS), 2029 NW 6th Street, Gainesville, FL 32609. Proof of Alachua County residence and participation in a qualifying program are required. More information is available at 373-5855.

Free and low-cost sterilization for Alachua County cats are available from the following sources: