New funding available for spay/neuter of pets
Monetary help is now available for the residents of Cook County for low cost spay and neuter surgeries for their pets.
Two local animal rescues, Animal House Rescue, operated by Anna-Marie Carter, and Paws Furever Home, Inc., run by Kathy Yert and Candas Bennett, obtained grant funding through the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Spay/Neuter program. Vouchers will be offered to pet owners for cats and dogs regardless of the owner’s income level.
According to Anna-Marie’s records, the voucher program that has been running for the past three years with funds obtained from Fix Georgia Pets enabled almost a hundred pets and feral cats to receive low cost surgeries at the Thomasville Spay/Neuter Clinic.
The new grant program is now available to any resident of Cook County until the funding runs out. We have $5,000 to work with at this time.
How the program works is as follows: Residents can come to the office of Carter, Carter, & Carter, Attorneys at Law, at 305 N. Parrish St., Adel, Georgia, and pay for the appropriate voucher for the type of pet that will have the surgery.
Pricing for dogs, no matter what size, is $65 and all cats are $50. Kittens must weigh at least 3 to 4 pounds and be at least 14 weeks of age to have the surgery. Additional services will also be offered if your pet needs worming, nail trim, other immunizations, or even a microchip. The voucher price includes a free one year rabies vaccination unless the owner brings proof of previous vaccination.
The owner will have the opportunity to reserve a spot on the monthly van trip to the Thomasville clinic or they can make their own appointment and travel to the clinic at their scheduled time.
At this time, the grant criteria will not allow for TNR (trap-neuter-return) cats; however the funds can be used for a community cat in a carrier. The cat cannot be feral, and the staff at the clinic must be able to handle the cat for the procedure. Paws Furever Home participates in a TNR clinic with the Valdosta Humane Society. If you have a feral cat that needs the surgery and will be returned to its colony, please message Paws on their Facebook page for information on the clinic.
Animal House Rescue and Paws Furever Home would like to make this new program as successful as our former program. This is an opportunity to receive low cost surgeries for your pet. Full service veterinary hospital pricing for this type of surgery ranges from $160 to more than $200 and is beyond the cost for some people. The Thomasville clinic has done over five thousand spay/neuter surgeries with a full time staff. They provide the van service from the clinic to Adel on the monthly trip.
The previous voucher program that ran for the past three years provided low cost surgeries for almost 100 cats and dogs. Every cat and dog that is sterilized prevents unwanted litters of kittens and puppies. Cook County also has no animal control at this time, and it is imperative that everyone pitch in and do their part to prevent the overpopulation problem.
Any questions about the program can be directed to Paws Furever Home on their Facebook page or call Anna-Marie Carter’s law office at 229-896-4513, ext 230.
