Pet retailer to fund 8 low-cost spay/neuter clinics in L.A. County
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The charity arm of PetSmart this week announced a pledge to raise $13.8 million to fund eight low-cost spay and neuter clinics in Los Angeles County.
Two nonprofits, FixNation and Clinico, will operate the facilities, said PetSmart Charities spokeswoman Kim Noetzel. Three of the facilities are already operating in Pico Rivera, Downey and Los Angeles.
‘We believe that ensuring high-quality, low-cost, high-volume spay neuter services in the areas where they are needed the most is one of the keys to ending pet homelessness,’ Noetzel said. ‘That means fewer animals enter the shelter system, where they could be euthanized.’
The timing is significant; Wednesday is the first day Angelenos can be cited for not having their pets spayed or neutered under a law that took effect in April (yes, the grace period ends Oct. 1).
L.A. Animal Services General Manager Ed Boks welcomed the initiative, saying it would help the city control the number of animals entering the shelters and thus rein in euthanasia. He said the pledge will also help push along an effort to expand spay-neuter clinics both at city shelters and at outside facilities. Currently, only the shelter in South Los Angeles offers spaying and neutering.
Noetzel, of PetSmart Charities, said the Los Angeles area was chosen for the project because it has one of the highest levels of animal euthanasia in the nation. She estimated that over the next five years, the program could result in 500,000 cats and dogs being neutered, preventing the birth of perhaps millions of kittens and puppies.
--Tony Barboza
